Leave, Then Return Again
by sadistic lunatic
Summary: ::012 Retelling:: A Child of Fate, Squall Leonhart always tread along its thread unknowingly, even in the world of eternal war. But when his limits are tested, Squall must prove he is still human, too. -Lightning/Squall/Prishe-
1. Chapter 1: Rocking Heart

"This is bad." Squall muttered under his breath as he dodged a swipe from a blue False Stalwart, only to be forced to block a slash from yet another manikin- a Transient Lion. He immediately spun around, red orbs of energy surrounding him and detonating as he jumped back. The two manikins that had been pressuring him dodged backwards, giving him breathing space to assess his situation.

He spied Zidane and Bartz busying themselves with the silver-haired Kuja while the silver haired genome's comrades, Ultimecia, Mateus, and Kefka looked on. Alongside the three Warriors of Chaos stood several more manikins, ready to strike.

A flash out of the corner of his eye forced Squall to quickly raise his gunblade, causing him and the blue manikin to stagger backwards. Quickly regaining his footing, Squall spun once more, managing to blast the manikin to pieces before raising his blade above his head, channel his magic into his weapon to extend its range before slashing downwards and catching the second manikin straight down the midline.

A pale pink Fleeting Flash suddenly leapt towards him, its replica gunblade bearing down on his head. Squall blocked the strike from his crouched position then quickly fired a blizzard spell point black, knocking the manikin away.

_We need to retreat._ Squall's thoughts darkened. As much as he didn't want to back down, he knew this battle was already lost. They were surrounded and outgunned. Had Zidane and Bartz manage to take down Kuja, they'd be forced to battle the remaining manikins or even the mages waiting in the sidelines.

As Kuja flew up into the air, Squall quickly made his move. With a roar, Squall once more channeled magic into his gunblade, causing him to fly forward in a jet of blue light that knocked Kuja out of the air. Bartz and Zidane immediately batted away the pink manikin that tried to jump their comrade from behind, turning it into dust as it hit the ground.

"Thanks for the assist!" Bartz cheered as he wiped the sweat trailing down his brow.

"Pssch, we could've taken him." Zidane whined but grinned nonetheless.

Squall stood up, eyeing Kuja as the mage rose to his feet. "Hn."

"How dare you, you arrogant cretin!" Kuja glared hard at Squall. The latter merely twirled his gunblade before resting it on his shoulder, mocking him. "Fine then, I'll take on all of you at once!"

Squall crouched down and tensed. "Bartz, Zidane, we're retreating on my mark." Squall muttered loud enough for only the two Warriors of Cosmos to hear.

The blond looked taken aback. "Wh-what?"

Batz simply nodded before raising his arm in preparation.

Kuja once more flew into the air but Bartz quickly countered him. "Show your flames!" pillars of fire suddenly erupted from the ground as Ifrit appeared, knocking the silver-haired genome out of his high horse. Bartz quickly banished his imitation of Yuna's staff before turning tail while grinning madly. "Time to go guys!"

Squall grunted before chasing after Bartz. Zidane followed suit while laughing along the way.

"Way to go Bartz!" The young genome cheered.

Squall threw a glance back as the trio departed the World of Darkness and ran through the fields of Pravoka. He saw Kuja rising but he made no move to follow them. Emperor Mateus seemed to be conversing with him but otherwise, none of the Chaos Warriors made any indication to follow.

Squall's storm blue eyes suddenly narrowed at the reason why. "We're not yet out of the fire." He shouted at Bartz and Zidane. The two also looked back and saw the manikins chasing after them.

"Guys, look ahead!" Zidane suddenly shouted. In front of them were even more manikins waiting in ambush. "We're surrounded!"

Squall cursed under his breath before charging up a revolver drive, skewering the front liners, and following suit with a fated circle, blasting his way through the manikin horde in front of them to clear a path. "Keep moving!" He shouted at the duo behind him.

The trio kept running as the manikins continued their assault.

"This is endless!" Bartz said as he finished taking care of his foe while keeping his guard up, aware of another manikin running towards him. "What now guys?"

Zidane tackled the manikin he was fighting, digging both his Mage Mashers in its chest before performing a backflip to land behind Bartz. "We'll never make it to the Sanctuary at this rate."

"…" Squall quickly eyed his surroundings. While the manikins individually weren't a threat, the sheer number they were faced with was rapidly becoming a problem. Spying a stone archway ahead, Squall turned back to Bartz and Zidane who were busy fighting. "Get down!"

The two warriors instinctively ducked as Squall swept his gunblade horizontally, lacing it with his magic to extend its range. The red energy blade slammed into the manikins Bartz and Zidane were fighting. "Get moving!" He motioned to the archway. The two immediately ran past him. As soon as the two crossed, Squall once more channeled magic into his gunblade to extend its range and attacked the archway, sending it crashing to the ground.

"SQUALL!" The gunblader heard Zidane shout from across the rubble. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Divide and conquer." He raised his voice. "Go!"

"Idiot! They outnumber us!" This time it was Bartz who shouted. "Hang in there! We're coming!"

"No!" Squall quickly parried a slash by an Ephermal Vision before quickly surrounding himself once more with red energy, the resulting explosion also destroying the rest of the manikins surrounding him.

"Stop being such a stubborn ass!" Zidane growled out. "You're our friend; we're not leaving you here to die alone!"

"I have no intention of dying." He spoke evenly. The manikins had stopped rushing him, instead fanning out and trying to cut off his escape route. Some of the manikins started climbing over the wall behind him, mostly likely trying to reach Bartz and Zidane. Despite the decreasing number, Squall knew he was at a disadvantage with his back against the wall. He needed to take this fight to a more favorable situation. "The manikins will just keep on coming. I will divert their attention while you two make your way towards the Sanctuary." Squall commanded as he raised his gunblade.

"…you better stay alive!" Zidane shouted. Squall felt what appeared to be a surge of magic and surmised some of the manikins managed to reach the two warriors.

"Yeah!" Bartz added. "Promise we'll see each other in the Sanctuary!"

"…" Squall, despite the situation he was in, had the sudden urge to facepalm. "…whatever."

"What was that?" An explosion erupted, making Squall curse.

"I said I promise!" The gunblade user growled out in frustration. "Now go!"

Squall quickly cut to the right without waiting for his comrade's reply. The leather-clad man jumped into the air before dashing forward in a jet of blue light, managing to destroy several manikins that leapt after him. As soon as he landed, he blocked a strike from his right before slamming his fist against the opposing manikin's head. He dodged forward, above another manikins head, and continued making his escape, the manikin horde now chasing after him.

Squall heard a shout from behind him and instinctively dodged to the side, hiding behind a stone pillar just as large blobs of water rained down where he previously was.

_More magic._ Squall thought sarcastically as the dust cleared. He quickly destroyed the pillar he was hiding behind, scattering his enemies as he continued running. _This really is endless._

He quickly surveyed his surroundings, seeing a familiar crystalline structure in the distance. _At least I know where to go._ He threw a glance behind him, noting he'd finally put some distance between him and the manikins as the army after him had decreased in number. Still, he wasn't taking any chances, knowing it was pointless standing around to fight as more manikins would most likely turn up and join the fray, drawn by the fighting. He continued running down the familiar path to the Sanctuary, entering a ravine. _That man mentioned these …manikins… only attack Warriors of Cosmos._

_..._

_This is gonna be a problem._

The wall he was running next to suddenly exploded, knocking him over to the side. His ears ringing, he quickly regained his footing and saw several silhouettes in the dust. _Can't be allies._ He unsheathed his gunblade and fell into a battle stance just as the ringing disappeared. _Has to be manikins…but how?_

The leather-clad man turned to look behind him, noting a sudden increase in the number of manikins chasing him.

…_no…_ he assessed the speed of his pursuers. _They slowed down, making me subconsciously slow down thinking I was able to put some distance while the rest ran around to catch me in a pincer attack._ Just as he surmised, the wall on his other side too exploded, showing more manikins. _Knew it. The question is, how did they become so organized?_

Turning back to look behind him, he glared angrily at the manikin leading the pack. The emotionless face of a purplish-pink Transient Lion met his gaze, as if mocking him with its aloofness. _Coincidence._ He shook his head. He was starting to think irrationally. Perhaps he was starting to feel fear? But what was he afraid of? Seeing two figures flank the Transient Lion made him realize it; A Capricious Thief and a Fallacious Wanderer. _Were everyone else ambushed, too?_ Imagining Bartz and Zidane lying in a pool of their own blood made his blood boil.

_No._ he hardened his thoughts. _I trust in them to carry out their orders, just as they trust in me to keep my promise._

_It seems I have to stop this group here or the Sanctuary will become compromised. _Raising his gunblade and pointing it at the apparent leader of the pack, he shouted his war cry. "There can only be one Squall!"

The manikins roared as they ran towards him. Squall quickly surrounded himself with red energy spheres, the resulting explosion scattering the manikins in the frontline, before jumping high up in the air. Two manikins jumped after him. He shifted his weight, dodging a vertical slash from one of the manikins and making it hit the other. A sudden gust of wind made him turn around just in time to block another vertical slash by a massive cleaver, a False Stalwart managing to creep up while he was occupied. The strength of the surprise attack managed to knock him into the ground prematurely.

Quickly doing a one-armed back handspring, he managed to dodge the spell fire aimed where he landed. He steadied himself with the same hand while his other hand held his gunblade at his side. Five more manikins jumped at him from different directions while the blue manikin that knocked him out of the air came down. Squall once more propelled himself in the air just as the five were about to hit while quickly casting a triple fire spell that caught the False Stalwart off guard. Taking advantage of the five manikin's confusion, Squall jumped back into the fray, slashing at the back of one of the manikins before casting another triple fire spell point blank at the face of another, sending the two to oblivion.

Feeling a sudden change in magic in the air, Squall abandoned the three manikins just as beams of light erupted from the ground, destroying the three. He quickly surveyed his surroundings and managed to locate the mage- a Transient Witch- standing at the top of the ravine.

_That's going to be a problem._ His eyes narrowed. Something suddenly hit him from behind, knocking him forward. He quickly righted himself then turned around to face his attacker, seeing the floating green form of a Counterfeit Wraith. _Great, another troublesome prey._

His eyes widened as the Wraith started gathering dark energy. Squall jumped backwards, only to realize he was much too close to the wall. He dug his foot on the wall and propelled himself upwards and over the Wraith's head just as the 0-form particle beam fired, the gunblade user narrowly dodging. A lance of pain shot up his leg as he landed. Squall noted that he wasn't able to fully dodge the attack. He quickly ran forward and beheaded the Wraith as it attempted to recover. A clanking of metal over the Wraith's anguished cry made him turn around to block the False Stalwart from before. The strength of the blow made Squall grunt as it aggravated his injured leg.

He dodged backwards sloppily and fired a thunder barret, dragging the Stalwart with him, and rammed his gunblade through its face. Squall continued on forward as he couldn't stop his momentum with his injured leg. He saw more manikins approaching him and quickly charged up a revolver drive and used his momentum to propel his body forward, slamming into the incoming group. As his attack came to an end, he twirled on one leg, blasting his surroundings with a fated circle, forcing the manikins to pause in their attacks and buying him some breathing space.

Squall stabbed the ground, panting, never taking his eyes off his surroundings. He surveyed his situation, noting that, while the manikins decreased in number, he still had quite a ways to go. He steadied his breath before standing straight, wincing at the small jolt of pain his leg gave. A whistling sound made him flip backwards, just in time to dodge a blue explosion from above.

He glared at the Transient Witch still perched above him as he touched down from his flip. Squall started moving towards it only to raise his blade as a flash of red steel crept out of the corner of his eye. He blocked the attack and glared fiercely at the Transient Lion before having to jump backwards as the two manikins flanking it earlier jumped from behind the Lion in an attempt to catch him off guard. Squall caught the leg of the Capricious Thief as it followed through with a kick and threw Zidane's manikin at the Fallacious Wanderer when it attempted to retaliate. A chilling blue blizzard spell managed to catch him in the chest, knocking him backwards. He blocked the follow up spells before dodging forward as the Transient Lion's thunder barret came at him.

"This it it!" Squall smashed his good heel at the manikin's head as he came out of his flip and used the attack to propel him up into the air, dodging the first volley of red lances from the Transient Witch, which instead found its mark on the Transient Lion. Squall ignored the pain from the red bolts that managed to hit him and pressed forward to destroy the witch.

"Gotcha!" He fired five explosive blizzards spells, one aimed at the witch and others at the stone outcropping she stood on, bringing them both down crashing on the manikins below. Squall charged his gunblade with magic once more and with a roar, dashed downward, destroying the Witch as it stood up above the rubble. Squall staggered forward, digging his gunblade on the ground as he fell down on one knee.

Small trails of blood started seeping out of his wounds as the red magic bolts disappeared alongside the Witch. Panting from the exertion, he did a quick headcount of his foes, approximating at least twenty more manikins left to destroy.

_Almost done._ Squall pushed himself up, standing to his full height and pointing his gunblade at the manikins. "Come on! I can do this all day!" He growled out.

Half of the manikins charged forward while the rest took off to the skies. Squall idly noted they planned to surround him again.

_I have to finish these off now before the rest can get into position._

As the remaining grounded manikins closed in on him from the frontlines, Squall also made his move.

"Lion's Heart!" Squall roared, his gunblade pulsing blue with energy. He dashed forward, adrenaline numbing the pain from his injuries, and cleanly cut the Delusory Dragoon at the frontlines in half when it attempted to jump before moving on to the next manikin. He dodged left as a False Hero threw its shield at him and parried the follow up slash with his gunblade, pushing forward then grabbing its face with his other hand, casting a blizzard bullet with that same hand as he slammed the manikin into the ground.

He immediately jumped upwards as two more manikins descended on him. Quickly performing a mystic flurry, Squall charged his gunblade again with magic to extend its range, sending it crashing down at the three manikins that were stunned by the shocks left in the wake of his blizzard spell.

Hearing the air whistle, Squall barely managed to bring his blade up to prevent himself from getting cleaved in half by an Imaginary Soldier's Buster Sword. The strength of the blow knocked Squall against the rocky wall of the ravine, taking the wind out of him. Squall jumped upwards, gathering his breath, just in time to dodge the light blue manikin's two follow up slashes. Seeing two Counterfeit Youths flanking the Imaginary Soldier, Squall turned around, shooting another round of mystic flurries at the wall, sending it crashing down and burying the three manikins in a rocky grave.

Tiny meteors started raining down on him, making Squall dodge frantically. Spying the culprit, Squall ran towards the Phantasmal Girl, flipping forward into the air as he dodged the fire spell that raced towards him. "There!" He slashed it upwards, knocking it into the air, before slashing downwards then pelted the manikin with a flurry of stabs, the final stab slamming it into the ground. "Going down!"

Two Fleeting Flashes were immediately at his sides. Squall blocked the gunfire from one of them before planting his foot against the nearby wall then sprung himself forward, digging his gunblade into the stomach of the second. Squall pulled the trigger of his blade, making his weapon vibrate violently causing the manikin to burst. He immediately blocked the sword swipe of the previous Fleeting Flash. Just as he was about to counter, something suddenly and painfully lodged itself on his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground.

Squall groaned as he stood then looked upwards, seeing the manikins from before had already positioned themselves on top of the ravine. He eyed the smoke rising from the Transient Gunner's rifle, deducing what hit him. Squall cursed under his breath when his gunblade lost its blue glow.

The Fleeting Flash, noticing the lapse in its foe's concentration, immediately ran towards him in an attempt to finish the Warrior of Cosmos off. The Transient Gunners and other long-ranged manikins immediately bombarded the gunblader, trying to hold him in place so that its comrade down below could deal the decisive blow.

Squall charged up his gunblade, wincing as he lifted his weapon, and prepared to make his stand. _I guess this is it. Sorry guys, I don't know if I can still fulfill our promise._

Just as the long-ranged bombardment were about to hit, a female voice rang through the air.

"THUNDAGA!"

Bolts of electricity erupted in front of him, shielding him from the manikin's attacks. Squall snapped around before releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

The pink haired Lightning's mocking smirk met his gaze. "Points for trying, schoolboy."

* * *

><p>AN: Squall's an unbelievably hard character to write, in my opinion.

Edit (23 April 2011): Chapter 1 finally finished! Not yet proofread. Send me a review/message if there're any spelling/grammar corrections.


	2. Chapter 2:  White Reply

Squall grunted at the nickname. "Make yourself useful and take care of your manikin." He turned back to the horde. "I'll get those on top."

"Idiot." Lightning's eyes narrowed at her fellow gunblader. "You look like you're about to drop. Stand down and let me take care of this." She walked past him to stand in front of the manikins. "I can handle this on my own."

"I can defeat more than you." Squall's lips flat-lined with certainty. His competitive nature reviving his fighting spirit, Squall stood next to the pink haired soldier. "Try to keep up."

"Ingrate." The grounded Fleeting Flash charged at them as it saw the two warriors lock glares. Squall instinctively leaned back while moving his injured leg to the front, tripping the manikin. Lightning buried her saber at the manikin's exposed back as it staggered forward. The blue-eyed woman turned her attention back to the stubborn man. "That's one for me." The pinkette crouched down. "Don't get left behind!"

Squall watched the woman snap her fingers before propelling herself high into the air. Soaring high above the cliff, Lightning threw three gray spheres at the surprised manikins. The manikins dodged to the side but Lightning anticipated the move.

"Enjoy the view!" A net of lightning trapped two of the fleeing manikins as the pinkette twirled her Zantetsuken before slamming them both downward, causing the net to explode, killing the two manikins unlucky enough to get caught. Her lips frowning, Lightning took out her Blazefire Saber. "Hmph. Too slow."

Hearing a gun loading, Lightning looked down and saw a Transient Gunner take aim at her but before she could react, a jet of blue slammed into it, splitting it in half with an anguished cry. As Squall came out of his rough divide, he rammed his blade through the chest of another Transient Gunner beside him while casting a thunder barret that drew in a fleeing Phantasmal Harlequin. Squall alternated firing two blizzard and fire spells before casting a thunder spell, sending the manikin crashing into a wall, stunning it.

"Ruinga!" a gray ball exploded on top of the Harlequin, burying it in a rocky grave. Squall jumped backwards, making sure to not land on his injured leg. He threw his gunblade at the grounded Lightning's direction, the massive blade swooshing past the pinkette's head and piercing through rocky stalagmites before impaling an Idle Sky Pirate, immediately cancelling the concurrence aimed at the pinkette.

Feeling a surge of magic in their surroundings, both Warriors of Cosmos turned to see a Capricious Reaper take flight into the air behind the scarred Squall. The reaper started dropping flare orbs at the weaponless warrior. Squall dodged forward before immediately righting himself from his roll and running towards Lightning while the pinkette ran towards him. Just as they were about to collide Lightning jumped on Squall's outstretched sword arm. The scarred brunet grunted before throwing Lightning high up into the air at the reaper.

"Go long." Squall muttered under his breath as he staggered forward from the momentum of the throw but righted himself quickly, taking off to retrieve his gunblade.

The Reaper stopped its assault and dodged left in mid-air, only to be met by a scatter of bullets across its chest. "You're toast!" Lightning roared as she dug her blade into the manikin, allowing gravity to do its job as they fell towards the ground. Lightning jumped off with a back flip just as they were about to hit the dust.

Squall's voice suddenly rang through the battlefield. "Light, dodge!"

Lightning jumped high up into the air just as a barrage of sword swipes tore through the air. _What the- _She turned in mid air and brought her gunblade up, just in time to block the follow up slash from the Imaginary Champion. The manikin, taking advantage of its opponent's surprise, pushed forward, knocking the pinkette against the myriad of boulders on the ground.

The pinkette groaned and saw the Champion leap at her, only to be drawn backwards by a field of electricity towards her companion. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. "Behind you!"

Squall immediately turned, surrounding himself with red orbs of energy as he blocked the False Hero. The Imaginary Champion, seeing its chance, attempted to run its blade through the Warrior of Cosmos. Squall leaned back, managing to prevent the blade from hitting anything vital as the false masamune passed through his femur and into the ground. Squall grunted as he detonated the orbs of energy, instantly destroying both manikins.

The scarred warrior fell to his knee, Lightning immediately appearing in front of him and pulled the katana out of his leg. She threw the sword to the side as she raised her gunblade defensively, eyeing the remaining manikins. The pinkette spared him a quick glance before surveying their situation. "How bad is it?"

"I can still fight." Squall braced himself as he pushed against his gunblade to help him stand. The momentum made him stagger backwards before Lightning caught his hand. He was about to shrug her gloved hand off when she pulled him hard, making him fall to the ground.

"Doesn't look like it to me." She turned her attention back to the manikins. "Stay down. I can take things from here."

Squall glared angrily up at her as he moved to a kneeling position. "I'm fine." He placed his left hand on his bleeding leg. Lightning, sensing what the brunet was about to do, immediately swatted his hand with her boot.

"Don't cauterize it. I can heal it when I'm done." She chided him.

Squall's glare turned murderous but realized the futility as Lightning met his stare with apathy. Squall conceded grumpily before he unbuckled one of his belts, wrapping it around his injured leg tightly in a makeshift tourniquet to lessen the blood flow. "Stubborn woman."

"Be nice and I may spare you the lecture, school boy."

Squall's brow twitched. "Hn. Whatever"

"Whatever." Lightning echoed at the same time before taking off into battle, smirking at her victory over the gunblader.

A flash of recognition momentarily stunned the brunet.

* * *

><p><em>The automatic door closed behind him. Squall continued stalking forward ahead of his companion.<em>

"_Squall." The woman's voice called out through the open hallway. Squall paid no mind as he continued walking. The woman picked up her pace slightly to match his. "Is there something on your mind?"_

"_Not really." They both said at the same time, making the woman cover her mouth with her right hand in a futile attempt to hide her giggle. _

"_Hahaha!" Squall paused ahead of her, turning back to stare at her wonderingly. _

"_What's so funny?"_

_The woman waved off his gaze. "Funny?" She smiled beautifully at him. "No, no, it's not that! I'm just happy." She giggled into her hand again. "I feel like I'm beginning to understand my student a little." She folded her arms across her breast, her smile never leaving her face. "That's all."_

_Squall placed a hand on his waist before grunting. He wouldn't concede and so responded with the first thing that came to mind. "I'm more complex than you think."_

_The woman, not even the slightest put off by his cheek, smiled at him, her blonde hair swaying in the wind as she raised her hand towards him. "Then tell me more about yourself."_

_Squall turned his back on her and resumed walking. "It's none of your-"_

"_-Business!" The woman matched his step. Squall paused, resisting the urge to facepalm as the woman giggled beside him before walking ahead of him, a dazzling smile on her face as she greeted the passing students._

_In the distance, the sound of bells chiming resonated through the Garden._

* * *

><p><em>Garden-?<em>

Shaking his head, Squall shrugged off the memory before standing. It just wouldn't do for him to sit around licking his wounds while the pinkette fought.

"I told you to stay down!" Lightning shouted at him as she rammed her weapon into the armored chest of a False Stalwart, pulling the trigger several times as she fired volley after volley of bullets into its chest. The smell of gunpowder filled the air as the hulking manikin fell back and shattered. "I'll lodge a bullet in your good leg if you keep standing!"

"Sitting around makes me a target." He shouted at the woman. He leaned his back against a wall, surveying his surroundings. Squall shot a blizzard bullet at a Capricious Thief attempting to ambush Lightning from behind. "I can still do this, at the very least."

Lightning shot him a glare before refocusing back on her prey. "...when this is over, remind me to break your leg." A hail of magic approached the pinkette. Lightning angrily waved her hand in the air. "Thundaga!"

She charged past the wall of electricity, rebounding off boulders as she zigzagged her way towards the pair of Transient Witches above. She dodged a blue orb of energy as she landed between the two. A blizzard bullet hit the witch to her left, stunning it as it tried to escape, as she slashed the witch to her right twice before taking out her Zantetsuken, finishing it off in a flourish of steel. She turned to the still stunned witch to her left.

"Have some more!" She spun her blade around, coating it with energy, before slashing at the second witch, cutting it in half. The purple energy shot off from her Zantetsuken, spinning towards the last manikin.

Lightning saw the Counterfeit Youth jump upwards to dodge her razor gale. Suddenly, three fire attacks slammed into it, knocking it down just in time for the swirl of purple magic to slam into it. Lightning turned to her side when she heard a grunt and sighed exasperatedly as she saw Squall kneeling down beside her.

"Not bad, I guess." Lightning knelt down next to the panting warrior. She pushed him over roughly, slamming his back against a rock. She held him down with an iron grip. "That's for being a stubborn ass." She glared at him, her hard sapphire eyes boring into his storm blue. Squall just grunted in response before attempting to move. Her grip tightened.

"Stop moving, idiot, and let me heal you." She brought her hand up to his leg first, figuring the wounds on his chest were the least severe as they had dried out.

"A healer wouldn't injure her patient." Squall glared back at her.

"I can knock you out." Her lips quirked into a wry smirk. "Anaesthesia?"

Squall's glare only hardened as she casted her cura.

Adding salt to his wounds, Lightning continued to mock him. "Now, be a good school boy and keep a look out."

The healing magic soothed the pain in his leg, eventually closing the wound. "Take off your top." The pinkette commanded. Squall frowned before attempting to fold his arms indignantly, hesitating as Lightning raise her gunblade. Sighing, Squall lowered his arms.

The pinkette moved to help him take off his jacket when the man gripped both her hands tightly, stopping her. Understanding his intentions, she allowed him to take his top off by himself, despite her not liking the idea of the gunblader aggravating his wounds.

"You're a stubborn ass, did you know that?" She commented as he placed his blood-soaked shirt to the side.

"Go talk to a wall." He snapped back.

Lightning frowned. "No difference." She gently ran her hands over the wounds on his chest and shoulder, inspecting the damage. "Then again, I bet the wall's less stubborn."

Squall closed his eyes, ignoring the jibe. "Just get this over with."

A moment of silence descended on the pair as Lightning worked her magic on his chest. Lightning brought up a gloved hand at the hole on his shoulder, watching as blood fell freely. "I can't heal this wound with magic." She stated.

"…?" Squall shot her a puzzled look and winced when he tried to move his shoulder. "There's a bullet lodged in, isn't there?"

Lightning only nodded in response before frowning. "I don't know how deep the bullet is in your shoulder and there's too much blood and too little lighting to see. We can't leave that bullet there while closing the wound, though." Her frown deepened. "Our only option now is a tourniquet then try to get to the Order's Sanctuary as fast as possible."

Squall unbuckled the belt on his leg. Taking out his gunblade, Squall motioned to the woman. "Move over." Squall placed the gunblade on the ground in front of him and started dismantling it.

The pinkette's blue eyes narrowed at him as more blood began to pour from his wound. "What are you doing?" she asked angrily.

"I need a knife." Came the gruff reply from her companion.

Lightning placed a hand on his shoulder before forcing him to lean back again. "Let me." She took out a small survival knife before hesitantly handing him the blade. "I don't like what you're planning."

Squall nodded, accepting the blade, as she propped up his gunblade, holding it in front of him so he could see his reflection. "I know how deep the bullet is." He muttered at her, channeling a low-leveled fire spell to heat the tip of the blade with his good hand.

Lightning wordlessly took out a roll of gauze from her leg pocket before wrapping it tightly around his shoulder. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Squall grunted before bringing up the heated blade to his shoulder. Squall cut the wound in one swift motion. The next few minutes went by, Squall digging the blade into his shoulder, trying to take out the bullet while Lightning wiped the blood off with a cloth whenever he'd take out the blade, clearing his view. With a final grunt, the blade in Squall's hand hit the ground with a clang as the bullet came out. Lightning's glowing hand immediately pressed on his fresh wound while the other undid the tourniquet before also healing his wound.

Squall resisted the reflexive jerk as he willed his body to stay still, letting out a small groan instead as the sharp pain started to dull under Lightning's cura spell. Squall visibly relaxed as he leaned against the boulder behind him.

"What were you doing by yourself, anyways?" Lightning spoke up as she continued working her magic. Seeing the man in front of her refusing to reply, she poked his wounded shoulder. Squall jerked forward before glaring at her. "Well?"

"I was making my way to the Sanctuary." He muttered.

A delicate brow arched. "You were travelling alone?"

"Wasn't that obvious?" He actually smirked.

She frowned again. "Where are Bartz and Zidane?"

Squall was about to snap at her but halted. He realized the pain was making him irritable and that she knew, yet was level-headed enough not to respond to his taunts. Calming his breath, he replied evenly. "I told them to head to the Sanctuary while I distracted the manikins."

Eyeing her, the leather-clad gunblader muttered low enough that if Lightning hadn't been leaning towards him, she wouldn't have picked it up. "You should get your head checked."

Lightning was about to retort when she felt, more than understood, what he was referring to. A dull pain radiated from her nape, where she landed on the ground earlier after being knocked away by the Imaginary Champion. "I'll get to it when I'm done here."

"I'm going to hit you." Squall suddenly said. Lightning just barely managed to catch his fist before he socked her with his good hand.

"What was that for?" She slapped him on his injured shoulder.

Squall grunted. "You're not concussed."

Lightning glared at him. "I would know if I was." She resumed her cura spell. "My combat training also included field medicine."

"Fine."

She poked his wound again, making him glare at her. While the pain was gone, the gesture was still annoying. "How does it feel?"

Squall rolled his shoulder. While it was a little sore, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. Squall muttered an almost inaudible 'thanks' at the pinkette, making her smirk, as he picked up his discarded shirt. Lightning leaned back,taking out a piece of cloth and cleaned up the blood on the blade. As Squall put his top back on, he absently noted that Lightning seemed to take extra care for the knife. The pinkette, satisfied that her weapon was cleaned, folded the blade and hid it back in her pocket before healing the wound behind her head.

Squall retrieved his gunblade before standing. The man walked towards the edge of the cliff, landmarking his surroundings. Seeing the giant white tower in the distance, Squall turned to his companion.

"We're still several days away." He informed her. He eyed the dark clouds above. Lightning followed his gaze, coming to the same conclusion as him.

Standing, Lightning dusted her clothes then approached the taller warrior. "We should find shelter." Snapping her fingers, Lightning jumped off the cliff and into the ravine, flipping into the air and landing on a crouch at the bottom.

Standing up, she eyed the warrior above her coolly before walking off, leaving a small dome of purple energy where she landed.

_Show off._ Squall thought before following suit, jumping straight down into the ravine. As he was about to hit the ground, the purple energy stabilized him in mid-air, buffering his fall as he landed gently on his feet before picking up the pace to walk next to the pink haired warrior.

* * *

><p>"How are things on your end?" The red-eyed woman asked the sky pirate.<p>

"Nothing." He replied, turning back towards his companions. "You think she was ambushed by the monsters or the manikins?"

"We haven't seen a monster in ages." Tifa frowned. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "If there's any left alive, they'd probably be really dangerous."

"Do you think the manikins killed them?" Vaan pressed on. "I mean, some of them look like us!" She found it strange how the pale-haired youth looked excited at the prospect.

The red-eyed woman pondered the thought. Surely the warriors couldn't be the only ones living in this land, right? "I don't know. For all we know, this land's monsters could very well be the manikins."

"Hmmm…" Vaan smiled then started walking.

Tifa placed a hand on her hip. "That's not a good thing, Vaan." She admonished. "These manikins are twice more dangerous and probably even more numerous than any monster population." The hand on her hip moved up to her other arm, rubbing it absently. "I mean, who knows when they'll attack?"

Vaan stopped and turned back to her. "Isn't that the same for monsters?" He placed both hands behind his head. "Light will be fine. If anything, I'm more worried about Laguna. That guy could stumble into all sorts of trouble." He nodded his head forward, beckoning her to come over. "C'mon. We're almost at the meeting point; we can ask Laguna if we can wait for another day. If Light's still not there then we'll just catch up with her at the Sanctuary."

Tifa shook her head before smiling at Vaan's optimism. She jogged up to the sky pirate and matched his pace, making their way to the rendezvous point.

The sound of thunder boomed in the distance.

* * *

><p>The rain started pouring thirty minutes ago, not that both warriors had any way of telling the time. There was no drizzle before the storm; the floodgates of heaven just opened on their then-dry heads, turning their surroundings into a blurry mess.<p>

They had been running ever since, still looking for shelter. Lightning held her red cape above her head in a make-shift umbrella while Squall ran without cover. Seeing a familiar structure in the distance, the pinkette ran towards it.

"Follow me!" Lightning's voice shouted through the storm. Squall saw Lightning's form shift its course. Raising an arm to shield his eyes from the rain, Squall followed the shorter warrior. Eventually, he too recognized what she was heading at.

The two warriors stopped before they entered the white structure. The large arch encompassed a glowing hieroglyph, its meaning neither warrior really understood. However, both warriors knew exactly what it was.

Squall turned towards the pinkette. "We're taking shelter in a gateway?" He asked skeptically.

Wiping the pink hair that clung to her face, Lightning narrowed her eyes at the equally drenched brunet. "Do you have any bright ideas besides being struck by lightning?" She snapped back. "This is our only choice."

Grunting, Squall roughly grabbed her hand before touching the glyph. In a flash of light, the two warriors disappeared into the gateway.

* * *

><p>AN: Finally the manikin fight's over. Just a note, I have not played FFXIII (for lack of a ps3 Q_Q) and a lot of the other Final Fantasy games. How I'm characterizing Lightning as well as most of the characters, are based on their portrayal in dissidia (both cutscenes and battle quotes) and, to an extent, cutscenes from their respective games posted on youtube. Sidenote, I wish for there to be more Squall/Lightning fics ~_~. To that extent, I'm toying with another fic idea, a series of oneshots, just to get my characterizations right.

Thanks to those who have reviewed. I realize how annoying it is to post chapters by parts but meh, it's the only method that works with me.

Edit 03/05/2011: Seems Lightning actually had a knife


	3. Chapter 3: The Clear Blue Sky

A cool wind blew through the two warriors, making the less-clothed Lightning shrug the leather-clad man's hold on her hand and fold her arms in an attempt to suppress a shiver. Squall merely turned away, grunting as the breeze passed.

**_You… are…_**

Squall narrowed his eyes, looking around wonderingly, trying to locate the source of that voice.

"You hear that?" He asked his companion. Lightning shot him a puzzled look. Arms still crossed, the pinkette walked ahead.

"Just keep moving." Lightning deadpanned.

Another light wind blew by, making her absently tighten her hold on herself.

**_Come… to me…_**

The leather-clad gunblader reached out, grabbing a fistful of Lightning's red cape, before pulling. The pinkette staggered backwards. Turning, she was about to yell at the brunet only to be met with his hard gaze.

"We're camping here."

Lightning roughly drew her cape back from his grasp, glaring angrily at her companion. Squall for his part remained unfazed, though Lightning could've sworn the edge of his lip quirked upwards ever-so-slightly. Taking off his jacket, Squall wordlessly threw it at her. The pinkette caught it just as it was about to hit her face.

Lightning's glare turned into a frown. "What are you doing?" She called out as the brunet strode forward.

Squall continued walking. "Fire."

**_I'll… be waiting… for you…_**

He shrugged off the voice; he'd find it eventually. For now, he had to focus on making sure neither him nor his companion would die from hypothermia before they reached the Order's Sanctuary.

_**So please... hurry...**_

Lightning watched as the brunet left her sight, frowning as she observed the leather jacket in her hand. The inside of the jacket was still relatively dry compared to her drenched cape. Sighing, Lightning unclasped the metallic pauldron on her shoulder then unbuckled the belt on her waist, leaving her only in her black turtleneck top, miniskirt, and boots. She took off her gloves and the black sleeve on her left arm. Sitting down, bringing her legs close to her chest, Lightning held her blazefire saber in a steady grip then wrapped the leather jacket around her body.

The pinkette had half the mind to follow after the brunet but knew otherwise. He wouldn't be far away and though she didn't want to admit it, she was tired from all the running. There was no point in trying to find the exit yet, anyway, as the storm outside probably continued to pour.

Closing her eyes, still aware of her surroundings, Lightning fell into a meditative sleep.

Further into the gateway, Squall finished off an unsuspecting Capricious Thief, destroying it before it had a chance to register the new arrivals. Placing his massive revolver on his shoulder, Squall continued on forward, trying to find anything that could be set alight to last them through several hours of rest.

_Then there's food._ Squall pondered. _The nearest moogle town is still further away. Not to mention we're stuck in this gateway thanks to that person's idea._ Squall personally wanted to continue moving through the storm and make his way to the Sanctuary as fast as possible. This little detour didn't sit well with him but, as Lightning pointed out, the road ahead of them was a field and they'd more likely get hit by a stray bolt of electricity before meeting up with the rest of the Warriors of Cosmos.

As the brunet went on with his search, he noticed what seemed to be an out-of-place door along the stone hallway. Deciding to investigate, Squall grasped the handle in a gloved hand before shoving forward.

A strong gust blew against him as he stepped out.

**_Not…there…_**

The brunet once again ignored the voice. _I'll get to that once we've rested. For now…_

Eyeing his surroundings, Squall palmed his head. _Where am I?_

Squall found himself a top of what appeared to be a castle, if the cemented towers were any indication. Turning back, Squall raised his brow at the door he just exited before scanning his vicinity. _This world is just too puzzling to be real._Absently touching the now healed wound on his leg, Squall continued on forward. _If not for these wounds, I would believe this was all a dream._

Squall looked down and facepalmed once again.

_A floating castle? Seriously?_

No amount of studying could ever have prepared him for this absurdity. However, Squall did not come this far in life from just books; he advanced because of his ability to adjust to the situation at hand and think clearly.

Spying a tear in the sky, Squall crouched down before jumped as hard as he could, channeling magick into his legs to propel himself forward again in mid-air, managing to pass through the tear. As Squall landed on the dry forest ground, he looked around to make sure his exit was still there. Satisfied at seeing the tear in space, Squall proceeded to chop some of the nearby woodland, never straying far from the rift.

Satisfied with the amount of fire wood he accumulated, Squall re-entered through the rift and found himself back in the floating castle. Taking one last look at his surroundings, Squall re-entered the castle, finding himself in the stone hallways of the gateway.

Making himself back towards his pink-haired companion, Squall stopped a few feet away from her. He observed the peaceful face of Lightning as she hunched over one knee. _With how relaxed she looks, anyone could just sneak up and take her out._ As he neared the woman, he finally noticed the slight bulge in her makeshift blanket and who it was pointing at._Or not._

Lightning's blue eyes greeted him, as if she had been awake the whole time. "Fire. Now." She leaned back against the wall, watching as the brunet piled the firewood in a circular arrangement. Lifting a hand from under her blanket, she casted two fire spells that flew towards the pile, igniting it. She tossed him back his jacket.

Squall set his jacket on the ground as he took off his shirt, ignoring the questioning look the pinkette shot him. He wasn't trying to hide that scar, anyway. He noted that the rain had washed away some of the blood so that the deep red patch from before just turned out to be a faded smear. He set his shirt down near the fire just as Lightning did the same with her sleeveless overcoat.

"Thanks." He heard his companion mutter. Turning his attention towards her, he nodded. "Though next time you do something like that, I'll sock you a good one."

Squall raised his brow at her before shrugging. He sat down beside her, not so close that they were touching but not far away either. He leaned back against the wall, using his reacquired leather jacket as a blanket much like the pinkette did before.

"I'll keep watch." Lightning said. "You go get some rest."

Squall's only reply was a grunt. Lightning's brow twitched. "Would it kill you to say something? You're not an animal, are you?"

Closing his eyes, Squall chose to ignore her next comment.

"Sweet dreams, school boy."

Lightning eyed the brunet before looking away, realizing her companion wouldn't reply. Lightning approached the fire to sit in front of it. Occasionally, she'd use her gunblade to prod the firewood, keeping the fire burning, as she pondered their situation.

_A gateway only has one exit- it's just a matter of finding it now._ She frowned. _I wonder if anyone else got caught up in this storm. I just hope Laguna would be able to keep everyone else out of harm's way._ An image of the man with a machine gun leading Tifa, Vaan, Kain, and Yuna off a cliff and into a watery grave flittered through her thoughts. Lightning sighed deeply. _Who am I kidding? At best, Vaan will take the party through another side-trip during Laguna's scenic route._

Her frown deepened as she eyed the resting brunet behind her.

_Not like this isn't turning out into a side-trip, too._

Lightning touched the clothes she was drying. Satisfied, the pinkette put on her gear before crouching back down in front of the fire, wrapping her red cape around her shoulders like a blanket.

Several more minutes passed, her silence only broken by the cackling fire in front of her. _I wonder how deep this gateway is. With any luck, the storm should be over once we've found the exit._ Frowning, she realized a flaw in her plan. _I can't tell from in here._

"Do you think the storm's gone?" She asked absently, not really expecting her companion to respond.

"No idea." Squall gruffly answered. Looking over her shoulder, she found the brunet's eyes boring at her.

"You're awake." She stated.

Squall stood up, stretching his back as he picked up his shirt and jacket, putting both clothing on. "I was never asleep."

Lightning nodded before standing also and sheathing her gunblade. "Time to get going."

Squall picked up his revolver and swung it over his shoulder, walking ahead. Lightning frowned at the man before quickly casting a watera spell to put out the fire then followed his trail through the gateway's stone hallways. She maneuvered her way until she spotted an ironic sight.

She found him staring intensely at a wall. Scanning their surroundings quickly for a possible ambush, she folded her arms across her chest. "Something wrong?"

"There was a door here." The brunet stated. "It's gone now."

"It's a gateway." She deadpanned.

He raised his brow at her. "That doesn't make any sense."

"This world doesn't make any sense." She shrugged off his gaze and continued walking. "But we know what to do and so the only thing we should do is do it."

Squall's eyes narrowed. _That's not very reassuring._

**_Follow…_**

The brunet had half the mind to tell his companion she was going the wrong way. After all, there was an unknown voice in his head telling him to follow her path. However, a quick scan of his vicinity confirmed there was no other path to follow. Grumbling lowly, Squall resumed walking.

"Did you find the exit?" asked as he walked beside her. Squall shook his head. The pinkette abruptly stopped, making the brunet pause also.

"I didn't get this far earlier." He muttered.

She folded her arms across her chest, giving him a hard stare. "I'm taking point." She commanded out of the blue, stunning him. "You're taking up the rear."

"…whatever." Squall mumbled when he got over his stupor.

Lightning heard his complaint. "It's standard procedure."

Squall held his tongue as he walked behind the pinkette, finding it pointless to continue fighting with her. Especially since she seemed dead set on antagonizing him throughout every leg of their journey. _The sooner we reach the Sanctuary, the better._ He frowned at the pinkette as she peered both ways over the corner of an intersection. Satisfied that there was no opposition nearby, Lightning made a left down the hallway, never once looking back at her companion.

**_Follow… her…_**

Squall ignored the voice but complied, following the pinkette's lead.

_What does she take me for, anyway?_

**_Hurry…_**

_Shut up._Squall mentally snapped before the weight of his action dawned on him. _Great, and now I'm responding to voices in my head._ He resolved to finish this war as fast as possible, unsure whether his sanity would last but hoped it would return.

**_Not crazy…_**

_Don't patronize me._Squall idly noted that its voice was getting louder. Mentally shrugging, the brunet lowered his gunblade when he saw the pinkette stop in front of him with her hand raised.

Lightning turned away from the corner she was observing, locking her gaze with his. She raised three fingers then pointed in front of her.

_Three in front of me._

She then pointed at herself before raising two fingers.

_I'll take two. You watch my back._

Squall nodded, showing he understood her, as his body tensed in anticipation.

Lightning unsheathed her weapon, keeping it in its gun form. Raising her other hand, she steadied her breath.

_On my mark._

Lightning closed her fist before dashing forward, her companion not too far behind her.

_Go!_

Like her namesake, the pinkette blurred past the first manikin, managing to bash it on the head with the butt of her gunblade when she passed it as she sped through the massive underground terrain, then opened fire at the two manikins ahead. The two manikins dodged into the air when they saw its companion fall.

The Fallacious Wanderer quickly recovered and tried to chase after the woman, only to shatter as its chest was pierced by a massive blade.

Squall continued charging forward in his revolver drive as Lightning leapt into the air after a Delusory Warlock, intent on closing the distance to finish it off so she could move to her next prey. A flash of blue steel made Lightning raise her blade just in time as a Delusory Dragoon appeared at her side, swiping its lance at her.

She quickly grabbed the dragoon's gloved hand and pulled hard, dragging the blue manikin behind her, firing four shots at its exposed back before using it as a springboard to propel herself towards the warlock. Her adversary wasted no time as it raised its hand, preparing its attack while Lightning dealt with the imitation dragoon. Four boulders surrounded it before blasting off in different directions, aiming to knock the pinkette out of the air.

Lightning cursed when she realized she was too late. Instinctively crossing her arms in front of her and bracing for impact, both she and the manikin were surprised when a jet of blue tore through the massive projectile, continuing forward to lock blades with the descending dragoon as it tried to skewer the pink-haired woman.

Quickly regaining her wits, Lightning casted a blizzara spell with one hand. The air in front of her started to condense, the sudden drop in temperature generating a small vortex of pressure that drew in the warlock, entrapping it in a massive icy shard. Pressing on her advantage, Lightning slashed at it twice before knocking it downwards.

The manikin crashed against the stone floor, its icy prison shattering upon impact. The large manikin swayed as it stood, giving out a mangled roar at the pinkette above him only to find Squall blocking its view. Its eyes widened when Squall's steel blue gaze was merely inches from its face. Red orbs of energy vertically surrounded the two combatants. The leather-clad brunet couldn't resist a smirk.

"Let your guard down?" Squall quipped before detonating his spell, the force completely destroying the manikin this time.

"Squall!" Lightning shouted. The brunet found her pointing behind him. Following her direction, Squall's blue eyes narrowed as he saw the faint outline of more manikins running towards the opening the two warriors entered from.

He dashed towards it alongside the pinkette, who once more leapt high into the air when they both were close.

"Gotcha!" Squall fired spell after spell, managing to stall the manikins as they jumped backwards into the cave's entrance in an attempt to dodge his magick-based fusillade.

"Ruinga!" Lightning shouted as she too casted her spell. She aimed one explosive ball at the opening, managing to shoot it inside before it detonated, as she aimed the other two on top. The tunnel caved in, sealing the entrance.

"We have to move." Squall told her when she landed.

"I know." The pinkette took off. Squall quickly spared one last glance at the rocky mess before trailing after the pinkette.

They ran down a random path, trying to find a good place to hide so they could assess their surroundings.

"Great job, by the way." Squall voiced his complaint at his companion.

Lightning spared him a glance before facing forward again. "What was that?"

"You were going the wrong way." He replied.

Lightning frowned at his know-it-all tone. "Like you knew any better!" She spotted what looked like another cave entrance in the distance. "In there!"

Squall's lips thinned. "Left was a bad idea."

"Did a voice in your head tell you that?" She shot back sarcastically.

The brunet's eyes narrowed. _Lucky shot._ A stray thought made him smirk. _But if she did hear it, it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one going crazy._

Lightning shot Squall a look as soon as they entered the cave. Nodding, Squall quickly turned, once more surrounding himself with explosive magick, sealing the cave's entrance to further hinder the pursuing manikins.

"That should hold them off for now." Lightning said as she sheathed her weapon.

_**Almost!**_ The unexpected loudness of the voice made Squall stagger backwards, clutching his forehead in obvious pain. Lightning grew alarmed and was immediately at his side.

Squall instinctively tried to shrug away Lightning's hands on his shoulders but the pinkette held firm, helping him to lean against the wall. The brunet shot the concerned Lightning a weak nod of thanks as the pain started to dull.

_Too loud…_ Squall mentally groaned. He vaguely felt the being's repentant feelings; he realized that whatever it was that was calling out to him really was near. He didn't know whether to be comforted or not that something else was occupying his mind.

"What was that?" She questioned. He could see the gears turning in her head; she was most likely trying to figure out what just happened.

"It's nothing." He grunted, pushing himself off the wall.

"Like hell it is." Her grip on his shoulders tightened. "I don't want you dropping in the middle of battle." Her eyes narrowed. "I'm relying on you to watch my back."

Lightning met his gaze, searching his storm blue orbs for any sign of problem. Realizing she wasn't going to get anything from the stubborn man who returned her stare defiantly, she withdrew. "Fine then. Let's keep moving."

Squall watched the pinkette walk away. He idly wondered if he should've confided with the woman.

_No,_ he shook his head. _Telling her about a strange voice in my head would only flag me as an incapable._ Squall quickened his pace until he was just behind her. He observed the pinkette, noting she walked with an agitated tenseness in her step. Sighing, Squall spoke. "It's nothing, Lightning."

She half-turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye. He could tell she was still mad. "Like hell it is." She repeated her earlier statement. She sharply turned back, never missing a step. "I've got other things to worry about. Your little episode could get us killed."

Open mouth, insert foot. "Then stop worrying about it."

"Don't you get it Squall? I can't." She finally stopped and turned fully, one hand on her hip as she raised a finger to point at him. "We're a team now. That means we have to work together. That means I need to know if anything's wrong. "

"I know that." He shot back. "And I'm telling you there's nothing wrong."

"Cut the bullshit." Lightning growled out. She grabbed a fistful of the taller warrior's shirt, bringing him down to eye level as she glared intently at his eyes. Squall, for his part, remained unfazed, choosing to stare back at her coolly.

A tense moment of silence past before the brunet spoke evenly. "It's nothing."

Lightning shoved him back and drew her blade. For a moment, Squall thought she planned to attack him and beat the answer out of him. That thought was quickly washed away as she turned around, stalking forward down the unchartered path. "It better be nothing, Leonhart."

Squall drew his gunblade, placing it on his shoulder, and followed after the pinkette. He didn't bother offering a reply, knowing that unless he spoke the truth, he'd only further agitate the already angry woman.

_Thank you, voice in my head._ He thought sarcastically.

He was mildly surprised to hear it reply.

_**You haven't changed.**_

* * *

><p>"Do you think Squall's alright?" The blond genome asked his companion. Both had finished off the manikins that were chasing after them and were now camping under a tree, waiting out the storm before finding their way out of the forest.<p>

Bartz shot the shorter warrior a confident smile. "Of course he is." His grin widened. "Can you imagine him being anything less?"

Zidane thought about the mimic's words. Squall was a very capable individual; he was both strong and clever. Squall's only downfall was his pride and, of course, his antisocial attitude. Honestly, he wondered if Squall just naturally pushed everyone away.

Which was odd, considering how many people flocked to his side. The young genome chalked it up to Squall's aura. There was something about the leather-clad brunet that spoke how everything would be alright. He was like a pillar of strength for all the warriors, whether he liked it or not.

_A prideful pillar,_ Zidane thought wryly.

So, could Squall be anything less than alright?

"I suppose." The genome replied.

Bartz nodded contently. "Besides, Squall promised us that we'd meet up back in the Sanctuary, right?"

Zidane grinned, remembering how Bartz managed to force a promise out of the seemingly apathetic warrior. "Yeah!"

"If anything else, Squall's pride will make sure he'll keep his promise."

* * *

><p>The two warriors came across another fork. Lightning folded her arms, trying to decide which path to follow. Last time, her instincts lead them to a skirmish with the manikins. While she didn't mind fighting, she knew they were at a disadvantage, given their location.<p>

Squall looked down both paths, finding that they looked the same.

_**Go left.**_

"Go right." Squall said after a brief pause. The pinkette looked back at the warrior.

Squall nodded his head, reassuring the woman. "My instinct tells me that left will lead to a dead end." He elaborated.

"Let's hope your instincts don't fail." She curtly replied before heeding his advice, taking the right path down the fork.

_You can't tell me what to do._ Squall thought back at the voice. The brunet shrugged off the lack of a reply. Maybe the voice had finally left him?

Doubtful; Squall Leonhart wasn't naïve enough to believe that. After all, it was better to be cautious than dead.

They had been walking in silence so far, neither warrior willing to say more than a few words to each other after their earlier argument. Both knew they had to apologize to each other, Squall for brushing off her concern and Lightning for imposing her will, but their prideful temperaments prevented them from speaking.

So they continued their mutual silent treatment, the only noise filling the air were their footsteps on the stone floor.

_**You should apologize.**_

Squall's eyes narrowed. He knew the silence was too good to be true. _You should shut up._

He felt the being- whatever it was- frown. _**You're being a jerk again.**_

Squall growled out, catching Lightning's attention. "What is it?"

"It's no-" Squall bit his tongue, knowing that they'll culminate with another argument. The pinkette had stopped walking again, arms folded as she leveled him with a cool gaze, silently urging him to continue. Squall took a deep breath. "There's… something in here. Something aside from a manikin."

"You can feel it too?" She asked. Squall was inwardly puzzled. Feel? "There's something amiss."

Squall nodded, accepting her words, letting her jump to her conclusions.

_**That's not very nice.**_

The leather-clad brunet ignored the voice, choosing instead to continue walking. In hindsight, Squall should have noted how the voice was starting to speak clearly and more loudly.

Lightning unfolded her arms and followed suit. The silence that reigned between the two warriors was no longer the edgy silence of before. Despite neither warrior apologizing in words, their actions eased the tension between them.

A dull red light caught Lightning's attention. "What's that?" She cautiously jogged forward towards the glow, Squall right behind her.

Eventually, both warriors reached a stone wall decorated with glowing glyphs. Lightning smirked triumphantly. "Finally; the exit."

Squall nodded, suppressing the smirk that wanted to split his face. Still, he couldn't help the nagging suspicion he had; what exactly was that voice?

He glanced at his surroundings, his eyes looking for anything different. Eventually, his gaze settled on what appeared to be a scarlet stone.

And that's when the voice returned.

"_**Finally!"**_ A female voiced boomed both in and out of his head, making the leather-clad man clutch his head in pain. His massive gunblade clattered on the stone floor, drawing Lightning's attention. Lightning quickly drew her gunblade and moved in front of Squall, eyes darting from side to side in an attempt to find the hidden foe.

"_**Come to me, Squall!"**_ The voice continued. _**"Faster!"**_

"Show yourself, coward!" Lightning shouted. She noted Squall was now on the ground, pressing his hand against his forehead. She crouched down next to him, trying to figure out what was wrong. "Focus, Squall. Focus on my voice."

Squall shot her a weak look, brows knitted in obvious pain. "Stone…" he managed to rasp out.

"_**Yes, Squall! Pick me up!" **_The voice continued, oblivious to the pain it was causing the scarred brunet. Lightning's eyes darted around in panic before finally spotting the scarlet stone. _**"Faster, before time runs out!"**_ the voice urged- pleaded with them.

Squall raised his hand while his other clutched his head. He reached out to the stone. Lightning's eyes narrowed, grasping his outstretched hand in hers before pushing it down.

"I'll handle this." She spoke. Rising to her feet, the pinkette picked up the stone. "You, whatever you are! I have the stone!" she shouted, still trying to find the source of the voice. "Come out and show yourself!" She saw Squall groan and quickly linked that the stone in her grasp was causing his pain. Lightning impulsively smashed the stone against the rocky wall.

"_**No, no, no!" **_The voice panicked even more. _**"Not you!"**_

A bright glow filled the room and everything turned white.

_**Why…?**_ Lightning looked around once she could see again, trying to find the now more subdued voice. She spotted Squall recovering from whatever pain assaulted him.

Kneeling down once more in front of him, Lightning leveled him with a worried look. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Squall grunted. Truthfully, he wasn't, and Lightning could clearly see through his lie.

"Deep and steady breaths, Squall." She advised, placing one hand on his chest while her other hand wrapped around his back to grasp his waist, hooking his arm across her shoulders and helping him stand up.

_**You're not Squall…**_ The voice continued. Lightning's body tensed. "Whatever that was is still here." She warned her companion.

Squall stared at her, eyebrow raised. "It's gone."

Lightning's eyes widened.

_**You're… not… Squall…**_

"Who are you?" she voiced out.

Realization dawned upon the brunet. "You can hear it?"

_**I am Shiva.**_ The voice identified itself. A shiver ran down the pinkette's spine as the voice continued in an icy tone.

_**You're not my contractor.**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Finished marathon-ing ff13's cutscenes. My analysis of Lightning's character is she's less stubborn than Squall, is still very headstrong but is not as prideful, and above all else militaristic. She's also more compassionate than Squall, which I attribute to her actually having something to fight for from the get-go. In the beginning of ff13, Light disguises her good intentions with harsh posturing while towards the end, she becomes more open (zomg so many hugs!). Hopefully, my portrayal of Light will be similar.

Hopefully I've portrayed Squall believably here. I don't know if him giving his jacket is ooc or not but, I justify it as dissidia's Squall being less of a jerk than FF8's Squall. He's moody, broody, but just like Light in FF13, does still care about their comrades.

Edit 12/06/2011: Chapter 3 finally finished. I've also finished three more chapters of this fic, but they're not due to be posted yet. I'm tempted to just upload more 'teaser one-shots' for them in the mean time. Thanks for all those that have reviewed!


	4. Chapter 4: Cyclone

_Lightning looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. She found herself outside a large stone house but still under its roof, shielded from the pouring rain. She could smell the scent of salt-water in the air and surmised she was close to the ocean. She folded her arms, not recognizing her location._

_After all, Cocoon didn't have stone houses._

"…_Sis…" she heard a small voice speak. She snapped in its direction, surprised at not noticing the young boy until now._

…What a pitiful sight. _She couldn't help but think._

_The young boy was looking up at the dark sky. His eyes were red and glistening with unshed tears. Lightning shifted uncomfortably, wondering if she should approach the depressed child or not. _

"_I'm… all alone…" he spoke sullenly, letting the rain drench him. Lightning frowned and was about to approach the child and force him to at least stay under the roof when he continued, his tone carrying a determined hint. "But I'm doing my best…"_

_The boy suddenly bowed his head, his confidence momentarily faltering, before he balled his hands into a tight fist and nodded to himself. "I'll be okay without you, Sis." _

_The pinkette could tell he was trying hard to convince himself. Lightning slowly approached him as he spoke in a dark and stubborn tone, one hand in his pocket, eyes downcast. "I'll be able to take care of myself."_

"_Hey kid." She tried to get his attention as she reached out to him. Just before her hand could touch his brown hair, she felt a sharp tug from behind before everything faded to white._

"You shouldn't have seen that." A feminine voice spoke ominously. The pinkette scowled and drew her gunblade, looking around for the woman.

"Show yourself!" she commanded, still on full alert.

She heard a scoff before the voice replied from behind her. "As you wish."

Lightning turned around, pointing the barrel of her weapon at the blue-haired woman. Her eyes flickered to the animal beside the woman, a stallion which she recognized as her Eidolon, Odin, scratching at the white nothingness beneath it in agitation with its front hoof.

"You have a very protective guardian." The pale-skinned woman commented.

Lightning's eyes narrowed, her weapon still aimed at the woman's chest. "You're Shiva?"

"Of course." She replied matter-of-factly, unfazed by the pinkette's posturing. "And you're the whelp that _stole_ me from my contractor." She folded her arms and continued. "After all my efforts to reunite with him, too."

Lightning mentally rehearsed what she'd learned so far. "You're talking about Squall." she concluded. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want with him?"

"What do you care?" the woman shot back. Beside her, Odin huffed before glaring at the ice elemental. Shiva spared him a cool glance before refocusing on the pinkette. "You don't even know him."

"I know he_ hasn't_ tried to kill me." She acknowledged before speaking demandingly. "Now answer me this: who are you?"

Shiva smiled wryly. "I am an entity bound by contract to Squall. A contract _you_ breached."

Deciding to just accept this information and understand it later, she continued. "What are you doing inside me? And what was that from before?" she asked, referring to the scene with the little boy.

Shiva was silent for a moment and Lightning felt her fingers itching around the trigger of her weapon. "You picked me up." The ice-elemental frowned. "And by 'that', did you mean my _sustenance_?" she looked at her questioningly. "And, you may lower your weapon now. I find it insulting that you're threatening me when I'm cooperating."

Lightning gripped her weapon tighter. "Not letting my guard down until I know you could be trusted."

Shiva smiled wryly. "Paranoid… just like him."

The pinkette chose not to comment and instead pressed on. "What are you doing inside me?"

Shiva looked like she was about to answer when a malicious grin suddenly spread across her face. "I'd _love_ to answer that question but… time's up."

Lightning quickly tried to figure out what Shiva meant when she suddenly felt another tugging sensation. Eyes widening, she instinctively fired one shot at the woman. Shiva intercepted the bullet with a casual wave of her hand, generating a thick shield of ice that halted the projectile before it even got midway their distance.

Shiva smirked when the pinkette disappeared from the white world. She felt something press against her side and found Odin's eyes regarding her authoritatively.

"I know." She responded, her eyes growing somber as she leaned on the stallion, no longer having the strength to move."I'll stop antagonizing _that_ woman." She spoke of the pinkette distastefully.

Odin slowly knelt on the floor, bringing down the exhausted woman of ice with him. Shiva smiled tiredly at the noble Eidolon. "I'll leave after I've recovered." She stared off wistfully into the distance. "I want to return to _my_ contractor."

The armored stallion nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, Farron." Squall commanded. Lightning cracked an eye open to find the brunet looking down at her.<p>

"No sense of timing." Lightning growled to herself under her breath.

Squall merely turned away and put out the fire. "We're leaving soon."

Lightning nodded before standing and stretching once and sheathing her weapon. She noticed Squall staring off into the distance, no doubt trying to find the best route back to the Sanctuary.

"Found it yet?" she asked him, referring to their travel plans.

"Yeah." It wasn't that hard to miss the white tower in the distance. "We're about two days off unless we run." He heard Lightning scoff; he correctly interpreted that as a 'no'. They needed to save their energy in case of emergencies. "I also see a town from here. We should be able to make it within half a day's walk."

By town, Squall meant the moogle towns, which were abandoned some time long ago. Currently, moogles inhabited the small, run down areas…

…_Why don't the manikins attack the moogles? _Squall suddenly thought when he realized the odd tidbit. There had to be a reason but he didn't have enough clues for any conclusive evidence. He did have his suspicions but he decided to keep quiet about them for now. They already had a goal- a job, if you will, _despite_ not having any monetary compensation- and that was enough. _For now._ The brunet thought darkly.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Squall looked up from his musings, noticing Lightning was ready and waiting a few paces ahead of him. Mentally shrugging, saving his thoughts for pondering later, he followed after the woman.

Squall glanced over at his companion as they made their way down the rocky slope. She appeared to be deep in thought and he wondered if they really exited that gateway unscathed.

"Leonhart." Lightning called over her shoulder. Squall frowned; the only times she ever called him by his surname was when she was upset about something. "Do you remember making any contracts with a scantily clad blue-haired woman?"

The brunet raised a brow. _Blue-haired?_ _Is she thinking straight? _"How's your head?"

Lightning shot him an annoyed look. "My head's fine." She growled out. "Answer the question."

Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt- after all, Lightning was nothing if not capable- he answered honestly. "No." It wasn't like blue-haired women were easy to come by.

The pink-haired woman frowned but offered no reply, instead choosing to keep walking. Squall shrugged off her odd question but nevertheless made note of it. After all, his memories were a bit hazy so he _might_ have met someone fitting that description.

Though it did make him wonder _how_ the pinkette would know that information, if it was true.

Squall's eyes narrowed. _Yet another question that needs answers. _

"Do you know anything about what happened back at the gateway?" Lightning questioned her companion as she tried to figure out _who_ Shiva was. She didn't know what to think about having this…thing occupying her mind. Were there side-effects?

The brunet's eyes clouded in thought, reviewing what had just transpired between them. Lightning grew increasingly irritated as the seconds passed without his reply. She stopped walking and roughly grabbed his collar when he passed, dragging him down to eye-level. "Look, _schoolboy_," she spoke his pet name in a dangerous tone. "I want you to stop talking in your head and start conversing. If you haven't noticed yet, I can't read your mind."

Squall glared and tried to swat her hand away. He was mildly surprised at the strength of her grip which remained steadfast on his collar. _I don't recall her grip being this strong before._

Lightning for her part continued to stare intently at his eyes.

"Let go." Squall commanded. _What's_ her_ problem?_

The pinkette complied, shoving him away. She clicked her tongue in frustration. "Tch. Fine." She angrily stomped ahead.

Squall's eyes narrowed at the pinkette as he observed her march. There was a sliver of agitation in her steps and, after being manhandled the way he was recently, decided to put his foot down. "What's your problem, Farron?" he voiced his earlier thought.

The pink-haired woman stopped and turned, leveling him with a furious look. Squall wondered if she would always be like this; he was starting to get annoyed.

"I've told you we were a team and yet you're _still_ not helping." Lightning spoke angrily. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Do you want a meaningless death that badly?"

Squall's eyes narrowed and he pointed out to her current disposition. "You're agitated, Farron." He ignored her accusations and felt satisfied that, for a brief moment, her rage broke. "Tell me what's wrong." _I can't read _your _mind._

Lightning stared down the defiant man, trying to unnerve him. _What do _you_ know?_ She thought darkly. She turned with a dissatisfied grunt and frowned, her red cape billowing in the wind, as she continued to march onward. _I'm not agitated._

The scarred-man followed after her and continued to wordlessly observe the restless woman. _Something is definitely wrong._

Lightning roughly kicked a harmless stone on her path. _It's his fault. I just know it._

_**That's not very fair.**_ The pink-haired woman froze in her steps and growled.

Squall frowned. "Farron?"

The woman continued to ignore him. "Stop that." She spoke under her breath, low enough that Squall didn't hear her.

_**You can just think back, you know.**_ Shiva responded patronizingly.

Lightning clicked her tongue and folded her arms.

"Farron." Squall spoke louder this time, trying to get her attention. The pinkette, still angry at the leather-clad man's accusations, ignored him and continued stomping ahead. _The hell?_

_**My contractor is calling you.**_ Lightning could feel the being inhabiting her mind cross its arms. _**What so draws your ire?**_

The pinkette abruptly paused in her warpath, her brunet companion stopping at her side. _You're my problem. Get out._

Squall's lips thinned as he tried to analyze the emotions swimming in the pinkette's eyes. He could feel silent rage emanating off her yet the lack of focus in her eyes showed that she was angry at something else and not at him. He tried calling her attention once more. "Farron."

Her blue eyes darted towards him dismissively. "…Leonhart."

_That's a start._ The brunet thought sarcastically at her strained acknowledgement. "What is really bothering you?"

He saw the pinkette's body tense up; he could tell she was debating whether or not to tell him the truth. When her anger turned into indifference, Squall knew her reply before the words left her mouth.

"It's nothing." She turned her gaze away. "Keep moving."

_**I am here to stay. For now. **_Shiva spoke full of conviction. To Lightning, it felt like nails grating on a chalkboard.

Squall sighed and shook his head. "This is a team?"

The brunet left the rhetoric echo hanging along with the pink-haired woman as he trudged onwards.

Lightning's eyes narrowed at the brown-haired man's back. Anger flashed within her until his words were digested. She felt annoyed that the man had thrown her own words back at her.

Was she really that imposing? _That_ hypocritical?

She was really starting to dislike _that_ insufferable gunblade wielder; his presence continued to annoy her.

_**You two share the same annoying personalities.**_ Shiva mused.

_We're not alike._ Lightning growled back, picking up the pace to catch up with the brunet ahead of her. _He's just an arrogant jerk._

_**Squall was trying to help.**_ Shiva pointed out.

_He doesn't know how to._

Lightning felt a chill run up her spine at Shiva's next words. _**He doesn't? Or you don't?**_

The pink-haired woman's lips thinned. _Shut up._

_**Are you that **_**agitated **_**by my presence?**_

Lightning frowned and offered no reply.

* * *

><p>The tanned girl wiped the sweat off her forehead and grinned upwards at the morning sun. She stood up suddenly and dusted her shorts before stretching, replacing her hat on her head. "All done!"<p>

She admired her handiwork. She picked up the wooden pole and giving it several test swings, watching as the metal hook at the end of the line swung around. She pumped her fist up in the air and cheered.

"Oh, it's done?" The blue-eyed Elvaan turned and grinned madly at her companion.

"Duh! I told you it's easy to make!" the short girl twirled the stick around expertly. Her companion giggled behind her hand. "What?"

Blue eyes twinkled with amusement. "Be careful with that. It's going to get caught on something if you're not careful." As if ordained, the hook caught on to a nearby tree. The Elvaan pouted while her companion giggled at her expense. "I told you so."

"Aw crap…" she tugged on the rod, trying to dislodge the hook from the bark.

"Be careful. If you keep pulling, the line might snap."

"It'll be fine!" the tanned girl pulled harder.

The string suddenly split in half.

"Ack!" The Elvaan girl stumbled backwards from the sudden lack of resistance but quickly righted herself. "What the hell?" she whined as she stared dumbfounded at the now broken fishing pole.

Her companion shook her head, a cheerful smile adorning her face as she repeated her earlier statement. "I told you so."

The purple-haired Elvaan shot an annoyed glare at the taller female. "Oh shut it, you phony fortune teller." She sighed, internally mourning the loss of her food-catching instrument.

Her companion shook her head slowly and approached her. Taking a hand out of her basket, she held up a fruit to the Elvaan. "Here you go."

The purple-haired girl stared at the fruit then to the girl's warm face then back at the red apple. She could feel her mouth watering. "You are a lifesaver. Thanks!" she grabbed the fruit and promptly sat and started chewing.

The brown-haired woman watched her companion eat in silence, offering up another apple when the Elvaan was finished with the first. She crouched down next to her companion, tucking her skirt underneath her, and placed her basket beside her.

She looked up thoughtfully into the blue sky. Her companion looked at her, silently observing her before she posed her question. "Something on your mind?"

"Hmm?" the brunette replied, shaken out of her thoughts. "Oh… umm…" The Elvaan girl continued to stare at her curiously. "I was… wondering… how everyone else is faring?"

The Elvaan monk crossed her arms. "You mean you want to head back into battle?"

The brunette shook her head. "I don't want to fight, if I can. But I am worried about our friends." She looked at the Elvaan accusingly. "Aren't you?"

"I am." She looked away. "But, this is a stupid war with no end. I don't know about you but, I'm tired of watching those weak guys die." _I'm tired of them not remembering me._ She thought resignedly. "However," she grinned cockily. "If you do want to return, this mighty Prishe will keep you alive no matter what!" Sincerity twinkled in her eyes. _You saved me; I _will_ return the favor!_

The brown-haired woman smiled at the confidence her companion exhibited. "It's alright. We haven't found the answer yet." She stared determinedly at her companion's blue eyes. "Until then?"

"No duh!" she agreed happily.

* * *

><p>Lightning broke into a sprint. "Leonhart, dodge right!"<p>

Squall instinctively obeyed and brought his blade upwards defensively when he came out of his roll. Small meteors rained down on him and he cursed under his breath, knowing he was a sitting duck for larger-scale attacks until the meteor rain ended. _I need cover!_

"Farron!" he shouted over the barrage. His eyes made out a darting figure through the dust storm.

The pinkette had already started running up the hill where she tracked down the floating form of a Phantasmal Girl. "Aero!" she shouted, casting her magick.

The ball of wind slammed into the Phantasmal Girl as she came down from her spell. Never pausing from her run, the pinkette leapt upwards just as the manikin was thrown into the air and fired four bullets at the fake, stunning it. She summoned her Eidolon's powers, taking out her Zantetsuken, and raised both blades to cleave the fake mage in half.

Lightning felt the rush of wind against her back and she quickly turned, managing to raise one arm in time as the massive form of the False Stalwart brought down its weapon. _Crap._

The pink-haired soldier braced herself for impact and was surprised when she managed to match the large manikin's brute strength. She continued her turn, parrying the blade and using its momentum to throw the False Stalwart forward and into the Phantasmal Girl. "Catch!"

The woman-warrior roared as she channeled her magick into her weapons, spinning them around her body as her twin Zantetsuken blades spun on its own axis. The air cackled with power as a large column of electricity descended upon the two recovering manikins. She raised her arms into the air, the spinning blades flying over her head where it stayed there.

"Enjoy the view!" she slammed both blades down, causing the net of electricity to surge downwards before it detonated, destroying the two manikins.

The ex-Sergeant observed the aftermath of her attack. Smoke was rising from the crater she created; the two manikins lay unmoving as they slowly started to shatter. "Hmph." _That was stronger than expected. How…?_

_**Lightning!**_ "Lightning!" Shiva and Squall shouted suddenly, breaking her out of her reverie. The pinkette ignored the ache in her head and jumped forward just as meteors hit where she was previously standing in quick succession, exploding upon impact. She miscalculated the blast radius of the sneak attack and was flung into the air.

Lightning suppressed a pained cry and she cursed her momentary lapse in focus- she didn't pay attention to her surroundings as well as she should have.

Her eyes narrowed when her vision was suddenly filled with the glowing blue sword of an Imaginary Soldier. She instinctively shielded herself as the light blue manikin thrust forward, confident that she could take on this fake existence with her new-found strength.

_Crap!_ Pain registered when the manikin managed to break her guard. She saw it flip in the air, its large sword raised before it slammed its weapon downwards. The pinkette felt the wind knocked out of her when she crashed into the ground and this time couldn't suppress a pained cry from escaping. Her vision blurred- a consequence of the blunt trauma her forced landing caused against her skull- and she panicked when she realized she was a sitting duck.

_**Lightning, get up!**_ Shiva's frantic voice broke through her pain-filled haze. A blurry figure was rapidly descending upon her and she quickly rolled to the side, narrowly missing the finishing strike from the Imaginary Soldier. _Leonhart!_ Her mind shouted, wondering where her companion was in all this.

"Lightning!" she suddenly heard him shout. _Was that panic?_

The pinkette's mind registered the familiar sound of steel meeting steel and explosions rocking the battlefield, followed by the shrill cry of the manikins.

Lightning's senses flared and she raised her blade. The Imaginary Soldier broke through her guard again and, pressing on its advantage, swung horizontally with all its might and followed through with another horizontal slash, flinging the staggering pinkette against the wall.

Lightning grunted through her pain; she could feel blood trickling down the back of her head and realized she was in an incredibly unfavorable position. She saw the manikin chase after her but was suddenly struck from behind by a bullet of ice, stunning it momentarily.

"Fall back, Lightning!" She heard her companion roar over both the numerous battle cries and the ringing in her ears. "You're too far!"

The unrestrained anxiousness in his voice seemed to spark something in her. _It's not yet over!_

She pushed off against the wall just as her pursuing foe tried to run its blade through her. She landed on its large sword and used it to propel herself forward, digging a knee on the surprised manikin's face. Not wasting any time, she pointed the barrel of her gunblade down the top of its head. "Take this, bastard!"

The pinkette leapt off the dead manikin and charged forward towards Squall, eyes darting from left to right in search of more prey. Manikins were flanking her companion from all sides; they seemed intent on overpowering him with their sheer numbers. Not that she was worried.

Sure enough, the manikins were flung backwards from the force of Squall's attack, the smell of gunpowder filling the air. Lightning leapt forward, tackling the Imaginary Champion in mid-air and burying her gunblade in its chest as it tried to ambush the leather-clad brunet.

"You're alive." Squall commented as he stepped back, grabbing the overextended arm of the Capricious Thief and pulling. He threw the manikin upwards just as Lightning took to the skies once more.

The pinkette used the indigo manikin's body as a platform, filling its body with bullets then jumping off it to reach the high-flying Capricious Reaper which was frantically trying to finish casting its spell. "Too slow!" she yelled at the manikin. She thrust her fist forward, casting her magick. "Blizzara!" _**Blizzaga!**_

Lightning's eyes widened when she heard Shiva's angry voice shout loudly in her mind. A large shard of ice flew at the purple manikin, running through its chest. She leaned backwards as she peaked her ascent, flipping in mid-air and surveying the battle below.

Her lips thinned in silent awe when she observed the controlled brutality Squall employed. Manikins were rushing him from different directions and the leather-clad brunet dodged, blocked and parried, weaving through each attack and cutting through his foes as they passed or running his blade through their chest and flinging the shattering body at his foes. The man was relentless, slashing precisely and pulling the trigger of his weapon, effortlessly channeling his weapon's recoil to his advantage, quickly blocking and stabbing incoming foes.

Nevertheless, Lightning also saw, from her vantage point, that Squall would not last long; already the horde was holding him in place and limiting his movements- it was only a matter of time before he fell by their sheer overwhelming numbers. The manikins were rushing him too fast- the man had no time to cast any magick and instead relied on his swordsmanship to survive. _This is bad._

_**We have to help him!**_ The now familiar voice of Shiva insisted through her mind. Lightning needn't any further prompting; she was going to help him regardless. Despite everything, he was currently her companion and ally.

…Even if the man was a stubborn ass.

"Shield yourself, Squall!" She shouted as she descended.

Squall instinctively looked upwards and saw the rapidly descending pinkette throw something. He ducked, bringing his gunblade over his head. The manikins, seeing the lapse in their foe's aggressive defense, quickly pounced on him. The super-charged gravity ball detonated as it bounced off Squall's blade just as the manikins were about to hit.

The brunet grunted as he was encased in a massive dome of anti-gravity, suspending in mid-air or slowing down every manikin caught in its blast radius.

_**Let me handle this!**_

Lightning knew something was wrong. Her body suddenly tensed as an ominous mist descended on the battle field, frost covering every surface. Some of the pink-haired gunblade wielder's panic was alleviated when she entered the blast radius of her attack and her rapid descent slowed down. She still didn't have control of her motor functions. _What are you doing? !_

Shiva's voice came out matter-of-factly. _**Saving you both.**_

Squall looked up as the mist thickened at a particular spot. A shard of ice suddenly burst forth from the ground, suddenly shattering as a pale-skinned woman appeared, her cool eyes surveying her surroundings apathetically, her blue hair dancing in the wind. The brunet's first instinct was to raise his weapon against the new arrival until they locked eyes. There was something familiar about this woman.

Shiva threw her hands up in the air, gathering cold mist as she charged her attack. _**Apologies but this needs to end quickly.**_ The summoned being informed the pinkette.

Lightning felt all her strength disappearing. _What…you…bitch!_

"Sleep now." Shiva spoke dispassionately. Lightning didn't know whether Shiva was referring to herself or the manikins. At last, Shiva felt she had gathered enough energy. She thrust her glowing hands forward and casted her magick. "Diamond. Dust."

A wave of ice washed through the battlefield. Squall stabbed his blade into the ground, hiding behind his weapon and using it as a shield. The cold magick slammed into the manikins, piercing their bodies or encasing them in ice, killing them instantly.

The energy dome suddenly receded. Squall quickly looked up, his blue eyes quickly locking on Lightning's falling form. He leapt out of his shield, catching the pinkette in his arms and twisted himself in mid-air so that he was between the wave of ice and his partner when he landed in a crouch. "Got you, Farron." He reassured the pink-haired soldier, unsure if she was conscious or not.

"Relax." Shiva's cool voice travelled through the arctic breeze, her attack already subsiding. "I have no intention of harming you both."

_**Especially you.**_ Lightning heard Shiva add in her thoughts as her vision dimmed.

_Shut...up..._ Lightning's heavy eyes shut themselves slowly and she drifted off into unconscioiusness.

The summoned being lowered her hands and was satisfied with the results of her attack; nary a manikin in sight. She turned her attention back to her contractor, who continued to watch her every move.

"Lightning, wake up." Squall spoke, never letting the newcomer out of his sights.

Shiva cracked a small smirk. "She is unconscious." She informed the brunet, who narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "My forcibly coming out has waned her already diminished battle strength." She looked wistfully at the unconscious woman in the brunet's arms. "She fights hardest when she has something to lose. Familiar?"

"No." Squall brushed off her question before snidely posing his. "Why are you out then?"

"To end this ambush before it gets out of hand." Shiva rested one hand on her pale hip. "You need not try buying time; she will not wake anytime soon." The brunet's eyes narrowed even more. "I am your ally. You, of all people, should know that... _Squall_."

Squall's features softened slightly when she called out his name. There was something familiar in her tone. He still kept his guard up, though. "You're the reason Lightning is agitated." His even tone didn't betray his accusation. The brunet remembered how Lightning was acting up earlier; snapping at him more than usual.

Shiva nodded her head. "You picked up on her mood." She pointed out before giving a small shrug and spoke offhandedly. "Of course; _you_ of all people should."

"Why are you in her?" the brunet probed further, ignoring her statement.

For the first time since her reappearance, Shiva's disinterested façade broke. "I am still not well." Her eyes shifted to the side as she folded her arms self-reassuringly. "Being here is taxing already."

Realization dawned on the brunet. "You're a Guardian Force. You're…" he trailed off, fighting off the hazy fog of his memories as he tried to remember this familiar being.

"I can see it in your eyes. You're starting to remember." Shiva walked towards the pair of warriors, frost covering the ground with her every step. She continued on silkily. "Say my name, my contractor."

"Shiva." The brunet acknowledged. Shiva smiled then frowned when the man suddenly glared at her. "What are you doing inside her?"

The ice elemental pointed an accusing finger at the woman in his grasp. "She stole me from you."

Squall's eyes widened as he jumped to conclusions. "You're regaining your strength- eating away at her memories!"

Shiva stared blankly at Squall before letting out a small giggle, much to the man's annoyance. "Do not fret, contractor." She composed herself; she could feel the agitation rise in the man's emotions. "_Her_ guardian won't let me anywhere near them."

The brunet nodded his head slowly, processing this new information. _She has a Guardian Force?_ He shook his head. It didn't matter; the ice elemental was one of his closest companions. "Return to me, Shiva."

Shiva actually smiled. She had spent enough time with the brunet that she could feel the underlying affection in his words. "I would like to. I haven't enough strength yet, however."

Squall frowned. "How are you gathering your strength without siphoning from her memories?"

"You do not remember?" Shiva asked curiously. Squall paused; _remember what?_ "Of course. This was your plan. It's why I'm here." The woman of ice nodded to herself. "I have enough sustenance. I shall recover in due time, my contractor. We have much to discuss once we're bonded once more." _I also have to piece together _my_ memories._ "Trust me."

The leather-clad man frowned. "Very well." He finally amended.

Shiva smiled as she crouched down next to the two Warriors of Cosmos. She reached a hand forward, palming Lightning's occipital bone gently, soothing the ache from the pinkette's earlier blunt trauma. "She's a spitfire, is she not?"

"A handful." Squall agreed while he continued to watch the ice elemental go about her work. He silently observed as Lightning's features softened in her unconsciousness.

"Squall, you should trust her." Squall frowned at the blue-haired woman. "I can feel her desires. Lightning is someone who will move mountains for her comrades." Shiva's blue eyes twinkled at the brunet's. "It's very nostalgic."

"It's hard to trust someone that is willing to pound your head in."

"She is just not honest." Her eyes still continued to twinkle. "Do you not find it familiar?"

Squall tried to think of what Shiva was trying to get at before giving up. "No."

Shiva shook her head and smiled wryly at the brunet. "Very well. I shall not force you." Shiva retracted her arm, satisfied that she was able to prevent the swelling from forming behind the ex-Sergeant's head. "I do ask you of this; relieve her doubts. You _should_ know how." Squall frowned at the cryptic request. Lightning was a very self-confident woman from what he'd seen so far. "I must depart. My continued presence shall only be a hindrance."

The ice elemental stood up.

"Shiva." Squall called her attention. The pale-skinned woman looked down questioningly. "Return soon."

Shiva gave a small smile before nodding. _**You are not honest, yourself.**_

Squall watched as the Guardian Force shimmered then faded out of sight. He looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms before letting out a resigned sigh. _You won't be waking anytime soon, would you Farron?_

He gently placed the woman on the ground, minding her head. Squall picked up her weapon and, after a few tries, managed to fold it before placing it in its sheath behind the woman. He shifted his position so he was crouched down beside her and grabbed her arms then pulled her forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he grasped her thighs, securing her in place.

With a grunt, Squall pushed himself upwards, leaning forward slightly so that the woman wouldn't fall off. She was slightly heavier than she looked, the brunet noted. Squall briefly glanced back at his companion's face resting on his right shoulder. "You're not a bad ally, Farron." He muttered more to himself than the pinkette.

Lightning shifted in her sleep and Squall's lips thinned softly before looking forward once more, intent on reaching the moogle town.

"Even though you're annoying."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Apologies the update took so long; as you can see, I've been working on one other fiction in the DC Superheroes section as well as several other Squall/Lightning one-shots and even another Squall/Lightning multi-chap. I've also finished a Squall/Yuna one-shot, a ship my friends and I supported from ages back. There is a minor inconsistency regarding the ff8 universe that I am aware of but am choosing to ignore, for the sake of story-and-plot purposes.

Side-note; for fans of Squall Leonhart, Traingham's back to writing Stalker's Log over at the FF8 section. Go show your support for his awesome fic! Also, I'll be referring to magic spells as 'magick' from here onwards. I'm thinking of updating "Scenery Called 'Everyday'" next. This isn't proofread yet, so I'd appreciate if anyone points out anything amiss.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my fics thus far!


	5. Chapter 5: Tiger By My Side

**A/N:** Apologies this chapter took ages. Will be updating SCE next. Not yet proofread. I know this is a bit short compared to the previous 2 chapters. Thanks to those that have reviewed- hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Also, for those interested, there's a poll going on in my profile about Shiva's appearance. No worries though, it won't affect her role in this story.

* * *

><p>When Lightning came to, she found herself standing in the white world once more. She quickly drew her weapon, holding it ready, and quickly surveyed her surroundings, looking for the annoying blue-haired woman that occupied her mind.<p>

"Shiva, show yourself!" Lightning angrily shouted at the white expanse. "You have some explaining to do!"

A loud neigh from behind her was her reply. She turned around swiftly towards the source of the sound and spotted her stallion, Odin, prancing soundlessly to stop in front of her.

The armored horse stared into her blue eyes determinedly before jerking its head to the side once then turning around. Taking the hint, Lightning sheathed her weapon before mounting the white horse.

The pinkette leaned forward, delivering her command to her steed clearly. "Take me to her."

Odin huffed before galloping forward. The pink-haired soldier's fingers itched towards her weapon, as she pondered how she'd settle this.

_Squall looked at her pointedly. "You're agitated, Farron."_

"Shut up." She growled, shaking her head and clearing her thoughts. "What _does_ he know…?"

What _did_ he know about her turmoil- about her _need_ to return? He was a heartless mercenary, too _apathetic_ to everything.

Her Gestalt-Eidolon glanced briefly back at its master before continuing its fast gait towards the woman of ice.

_You know _nothing_, Squall._

Her steed suddenly slowed down to a prance and Lightning finally spotted Shiva. The ice-elemental was hovering- leveled with Odin's head- and was curled into a ball with her eyes closed, her legs tucked under her pale arms while her hair floating wispily above her from an unfelt wind, facing the pink-haired warrior.

Lightning dismounted from her steed and drew her weapon fluidly, pointing her blade at the woman of ice. Lightning's blue eyes glinted dangerously despite her modulated shout. "Wake up, Shiva!"

The floating being gave no hint at having heard the pink-haired soldier but instead continued to hover in place.

"Last warning; wake. Up." The pinkette drawled out dangerously.

Shiva still remained curled up with her eyes closed. Lightning raised her blade, intent on injuring the floating woman, when Odin galloped into the space between them and gave her a hard, sideways glance.

Lightning scowled at the war horse. "What, you too? Move it." She ordered.

Odin faced her fully and huffed lightly, tilting its head towards her raised weapon.

Lightning's eyes narrowed and stubbornly kept her weapon raised. "Move. Now. Or else." She threatened her Eidolon.

Odin sat down on its haunches, giving her an adamant stare.

The pinkette let out a frustrated cry, swinging her weapon downwards, stopping the blade just as it touched Odin's armored muzzle. The Eidolon did not even flinch, its hard gaze still locked on its master.

"Tch." Lightning withdrew her weapon, sheathing it behind her. "Have it your way." She crossed her arms. "Now move." Odin continued to stare at the pinkette. Lightning grit her teeth, reigning in her temper, and returned the white horse's stare. "I won't hurt her."

The white destrier gave her one last meaningful look before standing up and walking aside, allowing the pinkette to approach the floating woman.

"Can you hear me, Shiva?" Lightning spoke firmly, trying to rouse the elemental being. Shiva continued to float silently. The ex-Seargent frowned before slowly raising her hand, reaching out to the blue-haired woman, intent on shaking her awake. "Wake up, Shiva. We have much to discuss."

Lightning's hand touched the floating woman's arm and the white world was engulfed in a bright light.

_Should've seen that one coming._

* * *

><p>"<em>You're a soldier, huh?" the black-haired man asked with a large grin on his face.<em>

_Squall looked at him coolly. "Yes."_

Well, mercenary was more accurate but whatever got him to shut up...

_The raven-haired warrior scratched the back of his head. "Figured as much." He drew his large blade, twirling it expertly before stabbing the ground and striking a pose. "I'm a soldier too, you know? First Class!"_

_The scarred brunet looked away, mumbling dismissively. "That's nice."_

"_Wait!" Squall glanced over his shoulder. His companion extended his hand forward, smiling cheerfully. "The name's Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class."_

"…_Squall." He nodded once before walking away._

_Zack shook his head, sheathing his weapon before running after the brunet. "Hey, wait up!"_

* * *

><p><em>The dark-haired man returned to his table in a daze, his cramp disappearing. His friends- one large man with a blue bandanna wrapped on his head and one rather skinny dark-skinned man- grinned back at him.<em>

"_Good work, Laguna!" The black man nodded his head approvingly._

"_Mission successful!" The large man agreed._

_The dark-skinned soldier nodded to the space beside him, arms still crossed. "Here, have a seat."_

_Laguna sighed before sitting down, smiling wistfully._

"_I didn't think you'd actually do it." The bandanna-wearing soldier laughed heartily. "Our popularity rating's gone up a point!" _

_The gun-totting soldier rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at Ward's praise._

"_Yeah, but you cut a pretty pitiful figure up there." Kiros' matter-of-factly voice chimed in. "I'd say you're about -3 on the manliness scale."_

"_Say what you want!" Laguna shook his head before sighing, remembering how stunning the pianist looked up-close. "Julia sure is pretty…"_

_He continued to stare, a goofy smile on his face._

"_Aaa…" Laguna idly registered Kiros' surprised voice._

"_Hunhhh…?" That was Ward._

"_Laguna, we're takin' off." _

_That snapped him out of his daze. Laguna stood up abruptly, turning to his companions who started walking away. "H-hey! What's the rush?"_

_Ward came back, his hands on his sides while he nodded to himself in approval. "It's on us tonight. Relax and stay a while, Laguna."_

_With that, the large man left the table, leaving a puzzled gunslinger in his wake._

_Laguna heard someone giggle behind him before a melodic voice spoke. "May I?"_

_The dark-haired man turned around before doing a double take when he realized who the smiling beauty was. "Aaaaa…."_

_That was his leg cramping._

* * *

><p><em>Zack was doing his squats when Squall returned with the firewood.<em>

"_Welcome back!" The SOLDIER greeted. Squall nodded once before starting the fire._

_The black-haired warrior sighed in defeat. "I give up; why won't you say anything?"_

_Squall drew his gunblade and sat down on a nearby rock, taking out a piece of cloth, and started running the material against his weapon. He briefly glanced at the man before his gaze fell down to his weapon. Seeing as the SOLDIER hadn't been a nuisance throughout their journey thus far, he decided to humor the man. "…What's there to say?"_

_Zack gaped slightly before a wide grin spread upon his face. "Finally, you _can_ speak!" The SOLDIER rubbed his chin briefly before asking the first thing that came to his mind. "Hey, what's your world like?"_

_The brunet mulled over the question while he continued to clean his weapon, wondering how to answer it. "There are plants." _

_How _did_ one answer that type of question, anyway?_

_The SOLDIER pouted. "That's a given, isn't it? What about your military- what are they like?" he urged._

"_Incompetent." Squall remembered Biggs and Wedge; if they were any indication of Galbadia's strength, it was no wonder Balamb's forces succeeding in fending off their attack._

_Then again, Balamb Garden was the only facility that approved training with Guardian Forces. Though, on the other hand, Galbadia did manage to last long during the Sorceress War, so maybe their military structure wasn't entirely incompetent._

"_Squall, are you listening?" Zack's voice cut off his musings._

_The brunet stared at the SOLDIER questioningly, making the latter scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "I was wondering if there were any hot women in your life?"_

"…"

_This was going to be a long night._

* * *

><p><em>A vast darkness dotted with lights enveloped his senses as he floated aimlessly, arms stretched forward. He looked up at the remaining time he had left before his life support shutdown.<em>

_1:20_

I'm going to find you, no matter what.

_He squinted, spotting a floating white dot, steadily growing- approaching- from the right._

_1:14_

I have to get in front of her… and catch her….

_He gathered his strength- this was much harder than he expected, floating in space, wearing this suit- but he persevered; he had to save her. He couldn't make sudden movements lest he veered off course. He stopped moving, hoping- for that was the only thing he could do now- he achieved the right trajectory._

_0:48_

_He could have cheered, seeing that the white mass that he recognized as _her_ in her suit got even closer, but all he could think of was holding her in his arms, the stress of the prior ordeal clouding his mind with worry._

_0:30_

_She was there, right in front of him but still out of reach, and he bit back a curse. She was approaching and yet, all he could do was wait, patiently, and hope._

_Hope he did not mess up._

_0:00 _

_Life support shutdown._

_But he didn't care; she was here. He reached out to the woman in the space suit as she flipped around in the nothingness. He caught her mid-flip, holding her tightly from behind- never letting go._

"_Squall…" her voice came weakly through the communication line they shared. "…thank you."_

_He didn't care about her thanks, too preoccupied with the fact that she was finally awake and alive and just _her_ and not that possessed _thing. _Her hands came up to squeeze his arms. "I heard your voice."_

_Squall forced himself to stay awake- he could feel his breaths coming shallower and he willed himself not to panic. Still, her words surprised him. "…I can't believe it."_

_He couldn't believe they were still alive. None of that mattered now, though._

"_Are we gonna make it?" her weak voice sounded even fainter._

_He had to reassure her; they've made it this far for this to be the end. He mustered all his confidence. "Don't worry." _

_Squall felt the girl shift around and he obliged, holding her loosely so she could turn around. _

_He kept his face neutral even as he grew increasingly worried when her pale face started turning blue._

* * *

><p>"<em>You!" the girl with the long ears suddenly shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What the hell are you doing here? !"<em>

_Squall shot her an annoyed glare, not liking her loud tone one bit, before ignoring her._

_He didn't know why- nor appreciated the fact _that_- he was here, either. He had better things to do._

_He heard her yell something before he quickly jumped back, narrowly dodging a spinning green ball from colliding with him. He instinctively drew his gunblade, pointing it threateningly at the girl, his eyes narrowed._

"_You want a fight?"_

"_Wasn't obvious enough? !" she lunged at him again, hands tingling at the prospect of tearing the man apart._

_Squall swiped at her diagonally. Reading his move, the monk jumped forward, spinning in mid air with her fists forward. Squall reacted to her sudden movement by stepping back, allowing the girl to pass harmlessly. He jumped backwards once, maintaining his distance._

_He knew first-hand how difficult martial artists were to fight at close range._

_Both warriors heard shouts telling them to stop but ignored them, too focused on their foes._

_The purple haired girl spun when she landed so that she faced him just as he jumped back. Channeling the momentum from her landing, she leapt forward again, intent on introducing her right foot to the brunet's face._

_Squall, surprised by the sudden movement, quickly brought his arm upward to block her kick and was forced to take a step back as his body absorbed the surprisingly powerful blow. Her right leg flexed and Squall saw her left leg was raised- she intended to break his guard with her follow-up attack._

_Not giving her the chance, Squall shifted his guard so that he held her right ankle before abruptly turning, dragging the disoriented girl along with him, before throwing her down against the ground. The Elvaan monk quickly wrapped her legs around the man's arm while she extended her arms forward and braced herself. _

_The brunet was surprised when the tanned girl suddenly tightened her legs around his arm and pulled, throwing him over her. Squall rolled along the ground and instinctively jumped backwards, catching the girl in mid-air when she lunged at him. He wrapped his arms around her frame tightly from behind, locking her arms in place, as he completed his turn, slamming her into the ground._

_Panting slightly, Squall held one arm securely behind her as he pushed her head against the watery pavement, holding her in place. His eyes briefly glanced around, spotting his gunblade out of arm's reach. He idly debated if he should get his weapon but decided against it- he already won their fight._

_And he could easily snap her neck if she continued to attack._

"_What was that for?" he growled out. He noted that their companions were standing on the sidelines, weapons drawn and ready._

"_You _should_ know, murderer!" the girl below him shouted. She pressed her free arm with all her might against the ground, managing to shrug off his hold. Squall cursed under his breath- she wasn't just much faster than she appeared; stronger too- and made a dash for his gunblade, the crazy girl hot on his heels._

_He picked up his weapon and turned, slashing horizontally. A metal clang resonated throughout the Sanctuary when his blade met blade and Squall found the horned-helmet wearing Warrior of Light looking at him meaningfully._

"_That's enough." The knight commanded loudly._

_Squall looked behind the warrior and found the crazy girl being restrained by the blonde girl with the pink skirt and the sandy-haired boy with the open vest._

_The brunet withdrew his weapon, staring at the Warrior of Light crossly. "Tell that to her."_

_He nodded. "I accept that. I was talking to both of you." He looked at the purple-haired Elvaan. "You, why are you attacking your comrades?"_

_The purple-haired Elvaan stopped struggling, a hurt look briefly flitting through her eyes before they regained their fire. "Why are _you_ taking _his_ side? !"_

_The Warrior of Light frowned before Cosmos cut in, speaking to the pinkette worryingly. "Prishe, what's wrong?"_

_Squall noted that Prishe looked shocked at Cosmos' question._

"_What the hell is going on? !"_

* * *

><p><em>His accusing voice spoke up from behind. "What's gotten into you, Soldier? I thought you came for a fight."<em>

_The soldier stopped walking, thoughts in turmoil. "My sister…" _

"_Your sister?" the man urged._

"_She's a l'Cie."_

"_What?" a dark-skinned man wearing an afro suddenly filled the soldier's vision. "A _Pulse _l'Cie?"_

_The soldier nodded once, blue eyes clouding in anguish before hardening. "The fal'Cie has her captive. But I'll find her."_

"_Is she still…?" the man left the question hanging._

_Not willing to consider the question, the soldier walked forward._

"_Hey!" the man blocked the ex-Sergeant's path. "What was her Focus?" his voice became urgent. "When she became a l'Cie, what did the fal'Cie order her to do?" panic flittered across his features when a sudden thought struck him. "It wasn't 'blow up Cocoon', or anything like that, was it?"_

_The soldier's gaze shifted away from the inquiring man._

"_I didn't ask." Lightning finally admitted, anguish seeping through her words._

"GAAAAAAH!" the pinkette roared, drawing her hand back from the floating form of Shiva. Sweat dripped down her face as she panted, her mind instinctively trying to piece together what just happened.

"Had I not told you to stay away?" A voice spoke coldly.

Lightning looked up and was met with Shiva's icy glare. The ice-elemental's hair had cascaded back down behind her as she uncurled from her ball, slowly floating down into the white nothingness to stand in front of the pink-haired soldier, cool eyes narrowing menacingly. "Well?"

"What… the _hell_… was that?" Lightning panted out.

Odin gaited forward and once more placed himself between the two women. He looked at Shiva pointedly, making the summoned being sigh in frustration. "'Just helping your master'? You are lucky she hadn't caused any damage, what with _her_ reckless behavior."

"At least _I _get my work done." Lightning snapped, affronted by Shiva's accusation.

Shiva's glare returned. "_I_ was recovering. Do you make it a habit of _attacking_ whatever your _feeble_ mind can't comprehend?"

"Target's a target." She folded her arms, returning Shiva's glare. "And you're quickly becoming one."

The blue-haired woman stared at her before sighing and turning away. "Just go. Let me recover in peace."

Lightning's eyes narrowed and she pushed past her Eidolon and reached out, grasping the other woman's arm tightly. "Not so fast. I want answers."

Shiva sighed, her features softening as she'd had enough with arguing with the angry woman. "I have been very forthcoming with my answers." She spoke wryly. "Yet you still continue your hostility."

"I don't trust, easily." Lightning informed her, though she loosened her grip on the woman. Slightly. "Especially those so _'forthcoming with answers'_. It makes you seem like you know _much_ more than you are telling."

Shiva laughed softly to herself. "_He_ gave the _same_ reason when I first made contact." The blue-haired woman looked down at the pinkette's hand grasping her arm. "You may let go now. I shall speak."

Lightning did so but did not step back. She folded her arms, waiting for the woman to talk.

"I _may_ know more." Shiva pondered which words would explain her situation. "But I have been weakened after so long- I am still trying to regain my strength. What you saw- bar that memory of yours- were _sustenance_ provided by _my_ contractor."

That term again.

"Sustenance; you mentioned that before. Elaborate." The pinkette leaned back when she felt Odin's warm body press against her, still giving the blue-haired ice elemental a hard stare.

"In our world, I am called a Guardian Force- we grant strength to our hosts in exchange for habituating their minds, feeding off their memories." She left the implication of whose memories exactly she had been feeding upon hanging.

Lightning frowned but curbed her anger. "You haven't been feeding off my memories." She knew she was at fault for touching the woman earlier.

"Correct; I may have splintered your memories by my very presence but it is nothing you cannot recover from. I have been feeding off _my contractor's_ lingering recollections."

The pinkette placed a hand on her side. "That can't be right; those did _not_ look like memories."

"You are referring to the fact that you can see him?" Shiva asked. Lightning nodded once, her eyes remaining transfixed on the pale-skinned woman. "I have reconstructed my contractor's environment- mere, as you _humes_ put it, child's play for beings such as ourselves."

Lightning chose to accept that as a fact, finding no use in questioning that facet of the _Guardian Force_'s power further.

"So, this is my mind?" Lightning glanced at the white emptiness.

Shiva shook her head. "Not exactly. This space exists to host my presence." The blue-haired woman gave Lightning a once-over. "Though in truth, _my_ contractor has not been to this world yet, despite our strong bond." She looked pointedly at the white destrier behind the pinkette. "You can _thank_ him for our meeting."

Odin huffed in annoyance and Lightning patted her Eidolon absently. "Anything else you're holding out that is useful for me?"

"None without breeching _my_ contractor's trust." Shiva replied dryly before a thought struck her. "Ah, _my_ contractor knows of my presence inside you."

Lightning nodded, features remaining neutral despite being satisfied with the information given for the moment. "Fine. Get me out."

Shiva tilted her head to the side. "You don't feel the urge to wake up?"

"…was that what that was?"

Shiva nodded.

_Figures; I was forced out of this place because of Leonhart shaking me awake._

"I'll be waking up now." Lightning informed her. The pinkette closed her eyes and felt the same tugging sensation from before.

The white war horse stood up when its master disappeared, shooting the pale woman of ice a meaningful look.

"I know. You only brought her to me because she requested." Shiva sighed before playfully punching the white horse. "And you only protected me so she would not do any harm to herself. You are not chivalrous at all, Odin."

The Eidolon huffed at the woman of ice then galloped away.

* * *

><p>Lightning looked around the room, as she sat on the soft bed. She spotted her dualweapon folded neatly on the nearby wooden table. Noting her surroundings, she sighed softly when she arrived at the obvious conclusion.<p>

_Squall carried me to the moogle town._ The pinkette didn't know what to think. The brunet could have just as easily set up camp on the spot and yet he continued on. _Doesn't matter. We're now closer to the Sanctuary._

She heard someone knock on the wooden door before it opened, revealing Squall carrying a tray of food and water. He looked at her neutrally- if he was surprised that she had woken up, he did not show- and set the tray on the bedside table then stepped back. He quickly studied Lightning's features and noted that her mood had considerably lifted and concluded Shiva must have cleared up the pink-haired swordsman's queries.

"We arrived thirty minutes ago." Squall informed her before she could ask. He continued speaking as he approached the windowsill, sitting down on the chair next to it. "We can make our way towards the Sanctuary once you're ready."

"It's foolish to travel now." She stared out the window, towards the setting sun. "We're here now. We'll spend the night here." Her gaze focused back on the brunet, giving him a hard stare. "And I have more questions for you."

Squall nodded. "I was mistaken earlier. You were asking about Shiva." He frowned. "Why didn't _you_ say anything?"

Lightning folded her arms. "I wanted to make sure first." She briefly pondered asking about 'Zack Fair' and 'Prishe' but decided against it. Given how memories worked in this world, not to mention Shiva's admission at her presence warping Squall's recollections, the chances of Squall answering with a negative were high.

And those two did not matter anyway, having existed only in _his_ memories. For all she knew, they were people from _his_ world. Still, she could not help but feel like she was missing one detail…

Lightning shook her head. She'd think about that later.

"Leonhart." The pinkette's neutral tone betrayed her inner hesitance. She was at fault, earlier, and she knew that. Just as Squall had pointed out, Shiva's appearance and the questions it brought _had_ agitated her- and she took it out on him.

"Farron." Squall acknowledged with a curt nod.

Lightning's eyes briefly shifted downwards before finding his again. She swallowed the lump of her pride and spoke almost inaudibly. "Sorry."

_Does she know that I didn't even hear that?_ Squall thought to himself, having read Lightning's lips instead. _No matter._

"Fine." His tone felt harsh and Squall frowned. "It's alright." Satisfied, Squall gazed outside the window, watching the sun set over the horizon and wondering once more if the manikins _would_ attack.

"Lightning," Squall started. The pinkette, who was pouring herself a drink, looked at the man. "Thanks for the assist." He accredited her earlier save.

The ex-Sergeant nodded. She exhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them, her blue orbs burning with a renewed focus.

"We're heading to the Sanctuary at dawn." She outlined to the brunet. "Get some rest." _You've earned it._


	6. Chapter 6: Wide Darkness, Late Darkness

The silver-haired time witch ignored the mad clown's approach, instead choosing to observe the moon from her vantage point above the high tower, features schooled whilst she continued to ponder her future.

"Half-esper for your thoughts?" the blond Kefka questioned her curiously as he skipped to a stop beside her. His face filled her vision as he peered into the time witch's yellow eyes. "Oh let me guess! You're thinking about that murderous pretty boy, aren't you?"

Ultimecia narrowed her eyes at him before returning her gaze back to the yellow moon. "Perhaps."

A wide grin spread across the clown's face. "Well, have I got news for you!" The clown started floating in front of her, spinning slowly on a vertical axis as he rubbed his hands together in glee. "The little poser is apparently off travelling in the wilderness, heading back to his little pack of rats with only that pinky as company." His voice quieted in a conspiring whisper as he continued against the time witch's ears. "Word on the streets is, they're at each other's throats!" The clown mage's eyes gleamed murderously in spite of his gleeful tone. "Shall we go pay them a beating?"

The time witch waved him off, pushing his face away with one clawed hand. "It is of no consequence. There will always be more opportunities to destroy him."

Kefka floated to a stop in front of her. "Oh? Planning something, are we?"

A malicious smirk graced Ultimecia's features. "_Perhaps_."

Kefka held his sides as he threw his head back, cackling madly at the silver-haired sorceress' confirmation. "Oh Goodie! Let me in on your little scheme!" he wagged his eyebrows at her. "I promise to be good. I'll even let you use my little pet for your destructive purposes."

"That won't be necessary." Ultimecia replied and continued surely, ignoring Kefka's mocking pout. "I have my own plans."

Irritation sparked through the clown mage and he continued in seriously. "Would it _kill_ you to let me in on the juicy bits?"

Ultimecia's eyes narrowed at the insane Warrior of Chaos when her attuned senses felt the thrum of magic in the air. "He is _my_ prey and _mine_ alone." She spoke lowly as she stood up to her full height in case the mad mage attempted anything. There was no telling anything when the madman was involved. "If I have need of your assistance, _you_ will know."

"Toots, I _do_ hope you don't plan on flying solo like Kujie-poo." He continued, a dangerous edge in his tone as his manic grin returned. "After all, hogging all the fun is just _painfully selfish_, isn't it?"

The mad mage raised his hand and Ultimecia tensed in preparation when another voice spoke, annoyance seeping through its monotone voice.

"We came here seeking to bask in the darkness of the night and instead are treated to a petty squabble between _mortals_." The Cloud of Darkness appeared between the two quarreling mages, its yellow tentacles snapping angrily at them and making Ultimecia narrow her eyes and Kefka coo. The abomination leveled them with a commanding glare. "Go settle this elsewhere."

"Oh? And I thought you'd be interested in guts being spilled." Kefka taunted at new arrival, his hand still raised but his gaze shifting between the two.

"The end of a madman does not amuse us." The Cloud of Darkness stated pointedly as it closed its eyes. Seizing the opportunity, Kefka threw his hand forward with a spell on his lips, attempting to cast his magick on the annoying abomination but was halted when one yellow tentacle suddenly wrapped painfully around his outstretched arm and threw him away.

"Eh?" the clown mage didn't bother righting himself in the air before he crashed into the wall.

The cloud opened one red eye, glaring balefully at the mad jester that dared raise his hand against it. "Leave us and we shall spare your life."

"Tch. You party poopers are no fun." Kefka ranted as he patted his tousled clothing. He blew them a raspberry before making his exit, mumbling to himself along the way. "No fun at all."

The Cloud of Darkness watched as the bouncing figure disappeared before her gaze returned to the remaining witch who had resumed her perch on the rooftop, once more staring at the yellow moon.

"He raises a valid point." The cloud started neutrally and noticed the time witch's shoulders tense. "If you are so afraid of that man, why do you continue to spare his life?"

Ultimecia replied with a small trace of annoyance in her voice, refusing to face the scantily clad being. "Who is afraid? Certainly not I." the time witch continued confidently, though the abomination could sense the malice held dearly for the man in the witch's heart. "No. All I wish is to see that man wallow in despair before I smite the light from his ill-begotten existence."

The scantily clad humanoid closed its eyes, savoring the tremor of fear that slipped through the time witch despite her denial. "Very well then. We eagerly look forward to how your struggle shall end." The Cloud of Darkness then leveled Ultimecia with a hard stare. "Do not disappoint us."

The time witch scowled angrily when the dark cloud floated away, annoyed at how both warriors were meddling in her business and insinuating that she _feared_ the accursed SeeD known as Squall Leonhart. So what if the hated brunet had finally appeared in this world of strife? She would simply strike him down as he did her before.

Swiftly and without remorse.

* * *

><p>"Prishe, look at this!" The brunette excitedly called her companion over while she held the torn and faded pages of the report in her hands.<p>

She heard the fast footsteps of her the purple-haired Elvaan and sweat-dropped when it was accompanied by a loud crash that shook the walls of the room, dust falling from the ceiling as a result. The door creaked open and the Elvaan entered, adjusting her peineta with a scowl on her face.

"Someone oughtta clean this place up." Prishe ranted unhappily before sneezing once when the dust entered her small nose. "I've seen Goblins live in caves better than this!"

The brunette giggled against her hand. "That's because nobody has lived here for a long time."

Prishe shot the brunette an annoyed glare before approaching her. "Fine, smarty pants. Show me what you've got."

She handed the tattered pages to the Elvaan's outstretched hand. The purple-haired monk walked past her to stand by the candlelight, squinting as she tried to read the report. A moment later, Prishe gave up reading the faded text and looked incredulously at her companion. "The hell is this?"

The brown-haired young woman frowned before sighing, taking the report from the impatient Elvaan's hands. "I don't know for sure." She confessed honestly. Prishe frowned and she continued before the shorter girl could voice her complaint. "But it does seem important."

Prishe watched as the brunette spread the papers over the dusty table, absently brushing her fringe from her face with one hand before bending over the table and ironing out the creases with her hands, and then pointing at a particular spot of red. "See these?" Prishe peered closer to what the brunette was trying to show. "What do you think these are?"

"Circles and more scribbles." The Elvaan monk deadpanned her observation, taking off her peineta while scratching the top of her head with her free hand in confusion. Her companion sighed and gave her a prodding look. Prishe frowned and spoke irritably. "Fine, what do _you_ see?"

"Notes." She stated simply and was satisfied to see the realization dawn on the purple-haired girl. She smiled warmly when Prishe completed her thoughts.

"And corrections." The purple-haired Elvaan looked at the tattered papers once more with renewed effort, trying to make sense of the writings she had merely dismissed as scribbles previously. She threw her arms backwards. "ARGH! It still doesn't make sense." She sank to the floor in a squat, resting her chin on one hand, her lips drooping downwards into an angry pout.

The brunette giggled softly, making the purple-haired girl scowl upwards at her. Blue eyes twinkling merrily, the taller girl warmly encouraged the tan-skinned Elvaan. "Don't fret over it, Prishe." The Elvaan girl grumbled under her breath and looked away, eyes closed in defiance. The brown-haired girl shook her head with a wry smile; the young brunette knew how irritating this must have been for the Elvaan monk. With a placating smile on her lips, the blue-eyed woman unconsciously twirled her spiral locks before placing her hand reassuringly on the purple-haired girl's shoulder. "Why don't you resume searching? I'll continue trying to make sense of this."

"It's just a bunch of gibberish." The Elvaan girl mumbled as she puffed her cheek, acting more like a child than what her _real_ age suggested. Not that the brunette could blame her. Prishe continued on her annoyed ramblings. "Might as well burn the damn thing. This place too. It stinks. Seriously, whoever lived here must've been a real hermit."

"Prishe." The brown-haired woman cut her off gently.

The tanned Elvaan snapped towards her. "What?"

The brunette folded her skirt behind her knees as she crouched next to the pointy-eared girl and enveloped her in a hug. Prishe initially stiffened from the contact before relaxing when her companion ran her fingers through her purple hair soothingly, pressing the monk's head against her breast.

"It's alright." The brunette spoke sincerely, trying her best to help the shorter girl overcome her inner turmoil; she really had been wandering this world for _far_ too long. The brunette pulled back and gave the purple-haired girl another warm smile, one that spoke her utmost belief that everything would turn out alright. Her mood lifting, Prishe cracked a small, sincere smile. "Feeling better?"

As if snapping out of a trance, the Elvaan girl recoiled backwards before standing up and brushing the dust off her clothing, replacing her peineta back on her head. "What do you mean? Who's feeling down?"

The brunette shook her head at the shorter girl's antics and dishonesty, though her serene smile never left her lips. She too stood up, placing one hand on her shapely hip as she stared authoritatively at the shorter girl. "Good. Now go find us more clues!"

"Aye-aye!" Prishe shouted and, with the bundle of energy she was known for, disappeared through the door she came from, searching for more information in the abandoned laboratory.

The brunette pumped her fists together against her breast as her eyes burned with renewed vigor. "Okay! My turn." She turned her attention back to the tattered notes she left on the dusty table, eyeing a suspicious heading written on top. She pulled the seat over and sat down, skimming through the faded titles of the other pages. "The Pact… Manikins…" she mumbled to herself as she read. The candle flickered, making the shadows dance against the wall briefly.

"Shin…ryu."

* * *

><p>True to her word, Lightning was up and ready to go at the crack of dawn.<p>

"Sun's almost up." The ex-Seargent stated clearly as she opened the door. She was half-surprised to find that Squall was already up and was currently polishing his gunblade. Really, she had no idea if the young man ever slept. "You're up."

_**Of course he does.**_ She was reminded of the lingering woman in her head.

She ignored Shiva.

Squall nodded at her once before, as if remembering something, speaking clearly. "I've been up for a while."

The pink-haired woman eyed his weapon, noting how it was shining clearly. "I see." She turned around and called over her shoulder before closing the door behind her, not waiting for the leather-clad man to answer. He was competent enough to have heard her. "We're leaving in ten."

She stalked down the hallway with even steps, arms folded against her chest as she meditated the day before. There was something in the Squall's memories that she had accidentally been privy to that continued to eat at her yet she knew Shiva would not allow her to peruse through those memories again.

_**You thought correctly.**_ Shiva spoke again.

_Quiet. _Lightning mentally chided, though it lacked the fire that usually accompanied her tone when she was angry. _I'm trying to think._

_**Of course.**_ She could feel the woman of ice's nod of acceptance before her presence disappeared, her parting words spoken with a sharp edge. _**I shall continue my recovery.**_

Lightning nodded to herself.

She stopped in front of the window, spying the exit of the snow-covered mountain they'd have to make their way through in order to reach the Order's Sanctuary. Glancing further beyond, as the inn's location provided a relatively good view of their route, she spotted the watery masses of the Cornelia Plains. Satisfied that they were heading in the right direction, she unsheathed her dualweapon and inspected it, recalling how much more meticulous Squall was in maintaining his weapon while she hadn't even wiped the grime off her blade.

"Need a hand?" A deep voice cut in. She instinctively turned, pointing her weapon at the man's throat. To his credit, Squall didn't even blink as he held out the cloth he was using to shine his weapon to the pink-haired woman, cool eyes not betraying whatever he felt.

"…Sorry." Lightning lowered her weapon and accepted the cloth, pocketing it while she sheathed her weapon. "Thanks. I'll clean it later."

The taller warrior merely nodded before he made his way down the hallway. Lightning watched him go before shaking her head and following him, walking past the door he didn't close.

She found him speaking to one of the moogles, who left only to return shortly with two bottles- she recognized as potions- and bread, which the furry businessperson placed in a brown paper bag before handing it to the brunet. "Be careful on your journey, kupo. Strange things have been appearing near the Sanctuary, kupo."

"I'll keep that in mind." With a nod of thanks, Squall wordlessly paid for the items and accepted the bag, turning his attention to the pinkette when she approached.

"We can eat on the way." He reported, handing her the bag so she could take out one bottle and a slice of bread.

Lightning eyed the bag he held then the food in her hands before looking at him, her blue eyes portraying her confusion at the meal. "Don't you ever wonder _where_ the moogles get all this?"

Squall merely shrugged uncaringly. "I try not to think." He was satisfied with everything so there was no use questioning the little details. For now. He walked past her and out the door; digging one hand into the bag to pull out a loaf of bread which he promptly began eating.

Lightning gave the piece of bread she had one last look before shrugging, following the brunet's trail out of the moogle inn. She squinted when the first rays of sunlight touched her eyes and she turned to the side, spotting Squall leaning against the doorway, meal finished.

The leather-clad brunet looked at her before tilting his head to the side. Lightning looked puzzled for a small moment before she realized the meaning behind the brunet's gesture and she felt her features unconsciously relax. _You're taking point._

She confidently walked ahead in the direction of the Sanctuary, for the first time in a while neither an ounce of worry nor anxiety in her steps with the black-clad brunet following behind her. The two warriors walked in comfortable silence, Lightning leading the journey as she ate her food.

With her meal finished, she glanced over her shoulder at the brunet. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she noted the slight tension in his steps, and decided to point it out to him. Their mood had been considerably less hostile and she wasn't about to return to that edgy environment just yet. "Something the matter, schoolboy?"

Squall shot her an annoyed look, having thought that she had already gotten over calling him that annoying nickname. He had half the mind to brush her off but he knew that by doing so, he'd only doom himself to once more traveling with an irate pinkette, ready to chew his head off at every opportunity. _That_ was just not worth the effort. He looked at her pointedly. "Has Shiva mentioned anything?"

Lightning knew a loaded question when she heard one; she knew Squall wanted to know if any of his secrets were divulged without _his_ knowing. The pink-haired Farron returned her gaze forward, making the action seem normal so that the brunet wouldn't know she was gathering her wits, trying to find the best way to answer him.

"She hasn't spoken anything about you." She glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his reaction to her little white lie. Technically, she hadn't spoken anything; Lightning had accidentally accessed his memories through her impatience. She noted that Squall had narrowed his eyes suspiciously and she inwardly smirked, deciding to be more truthful since, clearly, whatever Shiva had accidentally let her experience _truly was_ important. She'd ponder his memories later. "I had _accidentally_ seen some of your memories, though."

Squall stiffened before anger at the invasion of privacy started to well up inside him. "How? Which memories?" his tone carried a dangerous edge and Lightning knew she was treading on eggshells.

She remained unfazed.

"Just like I said, it was an accident." She explained as calmly as she could, choosing her words wisely. She had an idea how he must have been feeling; she too would feel angry if she found out someone had been snooping in _her_ memories. Nevertheless, she chose her words carefully as she attempted to quell the man's anger. "I don't understand it completely. Shiva can explain it better than me."

Lightning saw his features were still harsh and she frowned, before continuing to answer. "And I didn't see anything important."

"_I'll_ be the judge of that." Squall stated crossly.

The pinkette sighed in frustration; the brunet just wouldn't let the subject drop until he was satisfied. "You were a depressing child." She spoke pointedly as if she was stating the weather. Squall's features remained unreadable, though Lightning knew he was mulling over her words. The pinkette briefly closed her eyes, trying to remember the flashes she had seen. "I also saw how you flung yourself into space." A curious glint flittered through her eyes as she recalled what he had done so to save a woman. "Squall." She noted that, impossibly, the man's features grew even stiffer. "Who was that woman?"

Emotion finally came across his features as Squall scowled, her question unknowingly striking a nerve, and he replied in an unfriendly manner."None of your business."

Lightning frowned, her patience running out. She bit her tongue from angrily lashing out at him and idly wondered if this was how Shiva felt when she remained hostile towards the Guardian Force despite her willingness to comply with her questions. "Fine. Don't answer." She let the matter drop; she was just being curious anyway. Fine by her if the man refused to answer. She spoke offhandedly over her shoulder. "Shiva's recovering, whatever that means. She _should_ be returning to you soon."

Squall watched the gunblade-wielding pinkette stomp off and he stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. Shaking his head, he walked briskly to catch up to the woman.

"Lightning." He called her attention and was satisfied when the woman halted. She gave him a cold stare, one that he quickly interpreted as his cue to start talking. "Sorry. It was a personal question."

Lightning's features softened at his reluctant admission; she, too, would have acted territorial had Serah been involved.

_Serah…_ her blue eyes cleared when she was finally able to put a name to the face that haunted her since she arrived in this world. She closed her eyes, saving that thought for later, and refocused back to the present. "It's alright." She continued looking ahead, feeling it pointless to remain angry at the brunet when he had already offered her the olive branch, albeit grudgingly. "Shiva will be ready soon."

She'd figure out _who_ the stoic man would risk so much to protect from Shiva, later.

The pink-haired Lightning gave Squall another sideways glance as they both made their way towards the mountain range's exit, and noted how the man casually observed his surroundings with schooled features; she found it hard to believe that this wall of a person was the same desperate man portrayed in his memories.

Squall suddenly turned his head to the right, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Lightning stopped walking, her hands gripping the hilt of her weapon at the ready. "See something?"

The brunet continued staring at the spot, searching for a hidden foe before shrugging it off. "No." _I thought I did._

Lightning merely nodded, learning to read the unspoken words in the taciturn man's speech.

The two Warriors of Cosmos continued on their way, unbeknownst to the time witch who had cloaked herself in daylight that continued to observe her prey and his companion with calculating yellow eyes. She could see the SeeD start to open up to the pink-haired soldier, even if both did not notice it.

A predatory grin split the sorceress' branded face. "That will just not do." A spell danced on her lips as she raised her clawed hand, snapping the talons that became her fingers and letting loose her magick. "Go and wreak havoc."

The man needed a reminder that she was coming for his head.

A lancing pain suddenly flared through Squall's mind, making him stumble as he palmed his head before it suddenly disappeared.

"Squall?" Lightning asked worriedly.

The brunet waved her off. "It's…" _nothing._ "Gone now." He closed his eyes as the last ebbs of pain vanished. "Let's keep going."

The pinkette nodded, shrugging off her companion's behavior as both continued their trek.

Elsewhere, a female figure opened its dark chocolate eyes, brushing her black hair aside as she stared at the world wonderingly.

* * *

><p>Zidane impatiently tapped his foot on the watery floor, arms folded as his tail swished back and forth irritably. "Where is he?"<p>

"Calm down." Bartz tried to placate the genome. "Squall promised we'd meet up in the Sanctuary, didn't he?"

"Yeah I know." Zidane whined before tilting his head to the side at the new arrivals. "But _they_ managed to arrive before him and were lead by _Laguna_."

Laguna raised a brow as he approached, having overheard the two warriors' conversation. "Hey, that's not very nice."

Beside him, Vaan quipped. "Neither was throwing us off a mountain."

"We all survived, right?" Laguna rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I knew Yuna would pull through in the end. Right, Yuna?"

The young summoner pouted in response. "My Aeons aren't meant for transport." She chided the man. "They are noble representations of our Fayth's hopes and dreams!"

Laguna smiled warmly, nodding to himself. "So, all I have to do is pray to your faith and all will be better, right? Easy!"

Yuna looked incensed before letting out an angry huff, calming herself. She knew Laguna meant no disrespect but she was tired and needed to rest after what her party had just gone through to reach the Sanctuary. With a weary smile, she nodded at the man. "That will do. Just… please refrain from insulting them."

The green-eyed man tilted his head in confusion before smiling warmly. "Sure!"

The brunette eyed the man suspiciously, not fully confident that he understood her words, when a hearty laugh cut in. "Give the man a break, Yuna."

"Sir Jecht." Yuna drew her hands into a circle before bowing in respect.

Jecht waved off the praise with a grin. "Glad to see ya all returned safely." He noticed the frown on Zidane's face. "Well, almost all of ya. Who're we missin'?"

"Squall hasn't returned yet." The blond genome informed.

"We lost Light during an ambush." Vaan said. He folded his arms behind his head and gave a confident grin. "She'll be back, though. Can't imagine _her_ falling."

The tattooed man frowned. "Those manikins are getting peskier than ever." He eyed the gathered warriors questioningly. "So shall we wait longer?"

"Of course!" Zidane shouted. "Squall promised us he'd come back."

"Miss Lightning also hasn't arrived." Yuna pointed out softly.

Jecht scratched the back of his head. "Ya but, all I'm sayin' is, Cosmos gathered us here from our journeys for a reason." He craned his head backwards, motioning to the Warrior of Light who was approaching them, Cosmos behind him. "And he's been gettin' restless waitin', ya know?"

"I'm glad you have all gathered here safely." The Warrior of Light spoke, appraising each of his fellow warriors.

"Not all of us." Bartz spoke up before Zidane could, knowing the genome might flip out at the knight. "Squall and Light aren't here."

A troubled look crossed the Warrior of Light's features as he thought of this new development. He turned to the Goddess of Harmony questioningly. "Cosmos? Do you know if they both are still alive?"

Cosmos closed her eyes in concentration, reaching out to her wayward warriors, ignoring the angry look Zidane and Vaan shot at the shining knight for insinuating their comrades were dead, before she replied comfortingly. "I can still feel their presence; they are near. They also appear to be travelling together."

The Warrior of Light nodded. "We shall give them until tomorrow. The manikins are growing more vicious as time passes; we cannot afford to wait any longer."

Zidane perked up. "If they're that close by, why don't we fetch them?"

"That won't be necessary." The dragoon spoke up, drawing everyone's attention with his approach. "We might get separated if we left searching for them without direction." He explained. "It is best that we trust in our comrades and wait patiently here for their return." The tall armored dragoon stopped in front of them, laying his spear on the ground. "As Cosmos clarified, they are on their way."

The younger warriors looked at each other before Bartz and Zidane looked up at the sky.

It was still daylight.

_Come back quickly, buddy._

* * *

><p>The two gunblade users made camp after they reached the foot of the mountain and passed the empty archway signifying that they had reached the Cornelia Plains, choosing wisely to take a short break and conserve their strength. They hadn't run into any manikin thus far, not even the False Stalwart that stalked the snowy peak like a watchdog.<p>

Both warriors found it very suspicious but neither mentioned it aside from a hard look from the brunet and a stern nod of confirmation from the pinkette. After making camp, Squall opted to scout further, taking a sip from his potion bottle as he left, while Lightning opted to stay in place.

She had something to speak with Shiva about.

Leaning against the stone wall overlooking the clear sands of the beach and the remains of what was once a proud castle, Lightning held her blade at the ready as she closed her eyes and meditated. When she opened her blue eyes once more, she let out a triumphant smirk at having awakened in the white world.

She looked around and once more failed to spot the woman of ice. Not that it was a problem. She took a deep breath before calling in a clear voice. "Odin!"

A loud neigh rang through the expanse and Odin soundlessly galloped once more towards his master until it stopped so she was right beside him, allowing the pink-haired Lightning to grasp its saddle and pull herself up, mounting the war horse. Patting her Eidolon's head, she spoke lowly. "You know what I want. Take me to her."

The horse huffed in defiance before complying, not really wanting to take his master to Shiva but at the same time unable to deny her request. He bent his legs before pushing forward, galloping towards the Guardian Force.

Lightning wasn't surprised to find Shiva curled into a ball once more, her blue hair and cape floating behind her. The pink-haired woman dismounted her horse and made to touch the floating woman when her Eidolon bit her cape, pulling her backwards.

"What?" she glared behind her at the white horse, whose eyes flickered towards the floating woman and back towards its master. Lightning sighed in disappointment, knowing what the stallion was trying to convey before pouting at the missed opportunity. She tugged on her cape once, letting her Eidolon know of her grudging decision.

Odin looked at her meaningfully before letting go. Lightning straightened her cape before turning towards the floating woman with a flourish, folding her arms as she let out a huff, kicking her pink locks away from her eyes in the process, and leveling Shiva with a defeated pout. "You better get out of that soon. I want some answers."

She waited for Shiva to finish, thoughts of a woman with brown eyes haunting her.

Several feet away from the meditating pinkette, Squall stalked onwards, letting his gut instinct guide him as he steadied his breath, his weapon gripped firmly in his gloved hand as he searched for the source of the disturbance he felt. He knew Lightning wouldn't appreciate his leaving her behind but this was something he knew he had to face alone.

He felt his breath hitch when he spied a figure a dark-haired figure sitting on the beaches, letting the waves caress her feet. He felt his strength leaving his limbs, his legs feeling as soft as jelly and as heavy as lead.

_It can't be…_ he denied what his eyes were seeing, unconsciously loosening his grip on his weapon as he couldn't stifle the flickering candle of hope shining through the clouds cast by his reason and logic. Yet, as the ocean breeze blew her hair from her back, showing him the nostalgic white angel wings on her blue dress, he felt his heart burst painfully against his chest. _Hyne…_

"Ri-rin…Rinoa." He managed to croak out her name against the lump that constricted his throat. For a brief moment, his heart sank when he thought he hadn't heard her, and he froze on the spot, praying she wasn't a figment of his imagination.

The young woman turned to him, a curious expression on her lovely features before her dark chocolate eyes widened in recognition. "Squall…?" her voice, ever as melodic as he remembered, held her unrestrained uncertainty underneath her hope. He nodded hesitantly, underprepared for this reunion- _what was she doing here?_- and he saw hot tears stream down her white cheeks, her pink lips widening in relief before both her hands flew up to cover her mouth, sniffing in that adorable way he remembered.

He found himself running towards her as she did him, their arms finding their way around each other when they touched. She buried her head against his shoulder as he caressed her raven locks, taking in her warmth and scent-_ Hyne, she's here and she still smells the same._

"Squall." The young sorceress mumbled tearfully against the fur of his jacket as she pulled back, tears streaming down her flushed face. The scarred brunet held her tighter, promising himself to never let her go, ever aga- "I… have something important to tell you."

The brunet stiffened when his entire world suddenly came crashing down around him, his chest tightening as her familiar words stabbed and twisted a rusty knife in his heart. "No…"

Rinoa shook her head, pushing against the strength of his arms- _Don't go_- and fought hard to smile against her pain. "I have to… I'm…" her breath hitched and she was no longer in his arms. "Squall, you have to…"

Squall pressed his eyes closed tightly, fighting down the bile building up against his throat as he cut her off. "Rinoa," he started painfully, embedding everything that was Rinoa Heartilly in his mind. He gingerly, shakily placed his gloved hands on both sides of her head, pulling her angelic face closer to his.

"Squall…?"

He held his breath. "I'm-"

And snapped her neck.

_Sorry._

The scarred brunet watched detachedly as the memory of the young sorceress he once loved vanished into purple wisps of smoke. He remained unmoving despite his emotions raging like tumultuous sea against his chest, hollowly staring at the spot the raven-haired illusion stood on, blank eyes unregistering her footsteps on the sand as the wind proceeded to cover them. He absently summoned his weapon, reflexively gripping it readily when his instincts whispered of danger against his ears.

"Did you like my present?" A silky voice cooed.

Anger flickered through his blue eyes, the first spark of emotion silencing his storm. He slowly craned his neck from side-to-side and observed his surroundings, eyes steadily hardening as he searched for his accursed prey. "_Ultimecia_…" he spat her name like a curse, which, at the moment, felt true.

"A pity." Her mocking voice came at him from all directions, making him scowl at the unseen foe. "You could have spent so _much_ more time with her."

"Show yourself, witch." He growled out dangerously, raising his weapon with a murderous intent. "Your death will be painful."

The witch's amused laughter was his reply. "Perhaps another time, foolish lion."

He heard the metal clanking of greaves against the sandy beach. He turned around, eyes narrowed when he saw the hulking forms of five large, armored manikins march towards him with their weapons raised. The whispering ocean wind carried Ultimecia's poison. "I will always be here… _accursed_ SeeD."

Squall angrily slashed at the wind, banishing her voice before pointing his large blade at the manikins, speaking with a sadistic eagerness that masked his inner fury. "What are you standing there for?"

He tore through the ambush.

"_I have to… I'm…" her breath hitched over the young sorceress' incoherent mumblings, her body shaking in fright when she was no longer in his arms. Rinoa gathered her strength and resolve and looked at the tall brunet determinedly amidst her cascading tears. "Squall, you have to-"_

Squall roared angrily as he cleaved the head of the Fallacious Tree clean off its shoulder.

* * *

><p>Prishe marched out the laboratory unhappily, finding her companion sitting under a tree. The brunette craned her neck upwards from her reading, a curious smile blossoming on her face upon spotting the purple-haired monk. "Did you find anything?"<p>

The Elvaan sighed and shook her head. "Nothing again." She approached the brunette and promptly plopped down beside her, arms folded behind her head as she leaned against the tree, her tanned legs splayed forward. "This seriously blows." She spied a familiar set of papers in the brunette's hands and couldn't help but comment. "How's the gibberish?"

The brunette nodded her head. "It's coming together." She fished out one page, holding it out to the purple-haired girl. "See this? It mentions a pact with someone named Shinryu." She shot the Elvaan a quick glance to see if she was paying attention. The brunette frowned when she found Prishe's gaze drifting elsewhere as the Elvaan stifled a yawn. She arranged the papers before standing up with a warm smile, keeping the tattered pages. "Tell you what; shall we gather food and find ourselves some place to rest?"

Prishe stretched her back before leaping to her feet. "Alright. You can tell me all about it over dinner."

The brown-haired young woman smiled. "Of course. Now, I'm pretty sure there was a stream nearby."

As the two travelled, Prishe spoke uncharacteristically silent. "Hey, Aerith?"

The flower girl looked at her questioningly. "Hmm?"

"Thanks." Prishe looked away as she mumbled. "For everything."

Aerith smiled warmly at the tan-skinned monk. "We can head back in the morning."

* * *

><p>"Oho~? Back so soon?" a snide voice greeted when she reappeared.<p>

The time witch glanced coolly at the mad clown before ignoring him and walking up the steps of the tower.

Kefka remarked absently, watching the time witch's every move seemingly without purpose. "Someone's in a good mood." The time witch paused mid-step before continuing, and Kefka's grin widened. "Played with the pretty boy?" he slapped his hand against his forehead and pointed an accusing finger at the silver-haired sorceress. "Oh what am I saying; you have that look! The one that says you just met man of your dreams and want to sweep him from his feet!" the mad clown sighed blissfully. "_Parting_ is such sweet _sorrow_."

His grin faltered when he failed to get a rise off the time witch, who had already reached the top steps. Ultimecia looked back at the man with a smile on her lips, a mad gleam shimmering in her yellow eyes. She spoke in an amused tone, not betraying the sadistic triumph she felt at ruffling the proud lion's composure. "There is always next time."

She closed the door behind her, leaving the clown mage to cackle in glee.

* * *

><p>Shiva opened one eye before blinking wonderingly, registering the familiar features of the pink-haired Lightning tapping her foot impatiently.<p>

"You're finally awake." Lightning spoke in relief, unfolding her arms and placing them both on her hips. "There is something I would like to know."

The pale-skinned woman of ice uncurled from her ball, her blue eyes continuing to stare owlishly at the pinkette. "You… learn fast." She commented softly, feeling surreal at Lightning's presence in the white world. She shook her head as her feet touched down. "Nevermind. What did you want?"

Lightning stared at the ice elemental straight in the eye, searching for any hint of fallacy. "Who was that woman Squall was saving?"

To her merit, Shiva's blue eyes did not shift as she continued to stare impassively at the pinkette. "Why do you need to know?"

The pink-haired soldier broke their stare, looking away as she pondered her reasons. "I just want to know." She would have spouted something about 'power' and 'information', but even then that reason sounded hollow. "Squall is a competent soldier and a comrade worth fighting alongside." She found herself speaking honestly. "I want to know what makes him tic." She briefly remembered the purple-haired girl's accusation. _In case he turns against us._

Shiva continued to stare at her contemplatively before folding her arms. "I can't say without breaking my contractor's trust."

Lightning frowned at the all-too familiar reason. "Why do you treasure your contract with him so much?" _Especially when he's a mercenary with nothing to fight for._

The pale-skinned woman grinned, her icy blue twinkling mirthlessly at Lightning's judgmental side. "Squall is more human than even _he_ realizes." A wistful expression flittered through the ice elemental's features as she brushed her blue hair with one hand absently, tucking her locks behind her ear. Lightning's eyes narrowed at the action while the blue-haired woman continued. "While he does fight to _find _a purpose, that does not mean he is necessarily heartless." The pinkette blinked, missing the brief sadness that flashed across the blue-haired woman. _Though that does not mean Squall can't be heartless for his objective._

The pink-haired soldier looked at her unbelievingly, but nevertheless filed her words for information. Shiva snapped out of her trance, looking at the pinkette sharply. "Nevertheless, I cannot speak _her_ name without my contractor's permission. Though, as I have been occupying your mind, even if without my consent, I can let you know this," Lightning folded her arms with a huff. "_She_ is without a doubt, close to my contractor's heart." Shiva grinned wryly, her eyes boring into the pink-haired woman. "You may compare her to _your_ Serah."

Lightning nodded tensely, unhappy with the turn of events but satisfied for now. She'll be able to use this information in the future. She turned away, walking past Odin as she faded into nothingness.

Shiva looked at the war horse icily. "I shall leave at my next opportunity." The woman of ice spoke dryly, unhappy with the pinkette's loyal steed.

Odin merely neighed loudly, which she correctly translated as its show of triumph.

In the waking world of war, Lightning opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the scent of gunpowder mingled with the ocean breeze. Blue eyes widening, she quickly got to her feet and instinctively ran against the breeze, following the trail of burnt air, as she gripped the familiar hilt of her weapon tightly, an angry scowl marring her face.

_He couldn't be_ that_ stupid, could he?_

She spotted a dark figure in the distance, rapidly forming the ominous figure of the brown-haired Squall staring at the sand craters as she closed in, his gunblade gleaming menacingly as he held it with one hand. Her sprint slowed to a stop in front of him and she took in the hollow look in his blue eyes, a subtle contrast to his normally steely gaze that she almost missed. His eyes shifted to the side, a glint of recognition was her only cue that he registered her presence.

His weapon vanished while he straightened his posture then schooling his features. He cocked his head to the side, where the large white tower signifying the Order's Sanctuary was only a short while away, and spoke neutrally. "Let's go."

He started walking and Lightning sheathed her weapon, marching straight up to him before grabbing his arm roughly. "What the hell just happened?"

Bored blue eyes shot her a sideway glance. "Ambush. I dealt with it."

Lightning scowled at the taller warrior, her grip tightening. She spoke darkly, knowing he was withholding something that may be important. "What else?"

Squall knew she wouldn't let the matter drop until she heard a satisfactory answer and he inwardly frowned, having observed Lightning long enough to know that her instincts always saw her through and that same damnable innate thought was barking angrily at his direction. He glared at her harshly. _I don't want to talk about it._ His eyes flickered dangerously to her hand holding his arm. _Let go._

Lightning's grip still wouldn't loosen as she stared down his glare sternly. _I'm not letting go until I know what happened._

The brunet tried to jerk his arm out of her grip, but like before Lightning's strength held him in place. He scowled. _You're lucky Shiva's there._

_Start talking._ Lightning thought, her eyes defiantly conveying her message, making Squall's lips thin at the stubborn woman.

He muttered darkly under his breath. "It's personal." He jerked his arm again.

Lightning still wouldn't budge. _I'm tired of hearing that excuse._ She idly wondered why she was going so far to know and realized that she was starting to care for these strangers she came to appreciate as comrades. She didn't want any of them dying because of their foolishness. She called him out. "Bullshit."

Squall continued glaring at her defiantly, as if that would get her to stop. His weapon warningly shimmered into existence in his free hand yet Lightning's gaze remained trained on his. _Let it drop, Farron._

The pink-haired soldier smirked, daring the leather-clad man to cut her down. _Do it._

…_Fine._ His weapon vanished; fighting with the pinkette wasn't worth the effort. His shoulder slacked and Lightning loosened her grip, allowing him to free his arm. He spoke her name dangerously. "_Ultimecia_."

Lightning followed the man as they walked towards the shore where they'd ride on the bridge of light towards the sanctuary, thoughts cloudy as she watched the man's disciplined marching across the beach. It didn't take a genius to know that whatever Ultimecia had done had shaken him but, as Squall was now, she wouldn't be able to get any more information out of him. It also didn't help that Squall had retreated back into himself, making it seem like nothing happened at all.

Her frown deepened.

* * *

><p>The majestic dragon god soared in the space between realms, roaring as it impatiently waited for the end of the conflict where he'd once more feast in the warrior's struggles, gaining more strength until he could finally break the accursed barrier between worlds.<p>

Another growl came, making the god's eyes narrow at the fallen dragon, its rings of energy spinning amusedly at the dragon god's unsuccessful attempts. Shinryu huffed, appearing before the fallen dragon with a snarl.

The larger dragon snorted, challenging the silver-and-gold dragon to battle. Shinryu continued to glare before backing down, craning its head backwards towards the shadow of the moon.

The fallen dragon's pearl eyes glinted- time was drawing near before _they_ would be let out to play- and Shinryu grinned, the god's teeth painting a malicious sight.

The other dragon suddenly huffed before pointing at the tower of light with its armored snout warningly, telling Shinryu of the blonde's plan. The dragon god merely snorted; Cosmos always came up with plans doomed to failure- there was no way for her to end the cycle. Nevertheless, the dragon god nodded its head; arrogance was everything's downfall, god or man alike.

The large dragon stomped its front legs and let loose a mighty roar, growling madly at the white tower, still and the dragon god knew this fallen wyrm's destructive urges borne off its anger knew no bounds- it would end the realms should he be unleashed.

Shinryu snapped its mouth at the larger dragon, silencing its deep hunger for violence, reminding it that _he_ was the one with the power to set them free of their seals.

The fallen dragon remained unfazed, cackling in its confidence. It knew that Shinryu will have to set _them_ free. All it took was the right push in the wrong direction, making the younger, _weaker_, dragon lose its composure and let loose its mighty roar at the moon.

Let the tears fall.

* * *

><p>"Squall." Lightning spoke determinedly, stopping the man before both used the light bridge to traverse the waters. The Order's Sanctuary was within reach, but Lightning wasn't naïve enough to believe Squall would recover in the company of the other warriors. The man may have mentally overcome whatever his ordeal was, but he would still remain emotionally unstable.<p>

Unknown to her, Shiva scoffed at the thought of an emotionally stable Squall Leonhart.

Squall stared at her impassively, observing her as the pinkette steadily approached. He was prepared to shut her out should she attempt to lecture him once more. His eyes widened slightly when she punched him lightly on the chest and pressed her knuckles against his shirt.

"…Don't lose sight of your goal." She spoke vaguely but surely and Squall belatedly realized that was her attempt at comfort. "If you don't, you will survive." There was no warmth when she spoke, just her honest belief in what she held as a simple truth. She took a deep breath before muttering softly. "And… we're all still here."

The brunet frowned. "Nothing lasts forever."

Lightning shook her head before looking up, locking her gaze with his. _I never spoke about forever._ She lightly pushed against his chest in assurance. _Just here in this moment._

Shiva's voice cut in her thoughts. _**No truer words.**_

A bright flash of light emanated from the junction between the two warriors, momentarily blinding them and making both pull back reflexively.

_Shiva?_ Lightning thought, wanting to know what just happened.

She didn't receive any reply.

Looking down on her closed fist, the same one she used to reassure the leather-clad brunet, she quickly drew her conclusions.

Even as Squall confirmed it.

"You _had_ a horse?" Squall asked in irritation. Lightning wondered what the problem was and he continued, still annoyed at the new information he gleaned. "We could have reached the Sanctuary sooner."

Lightning's brow twitched and she smiled wryly at the man. "Three things: one, he only likes me; two, stop giving personal information, Shiva; and three," she smirked humorously at the taller warrior, superiority shining in her eyes. "How do you think I saved you so quickly?"

Squall scowled when Lightning rode on the bridge of light, her red cape billowing in the wind. With a sigh, he followed suit.

Their journey to the Order's Sanctuary, as per Cosmos' orders, had finally finished.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **HAH! Finally! My prologue-turned-arc is finally finished! Now I can start writing the good stuff with my foundations laid out. And yes, Emma, I did get encouraged to write xD

Several things I want to point out in this chapter:

FF12:RW Shiva won the poll so I'm sticking with that appearance

Bridges of light = those quickmove bridges in the dissidia world map

Shiva took the physical contact Lightning made to re-enter Squall

Odin is merely looking out for Lightning's best interests, hence Shiva commenting how he's "not chivalrous at all"

Yes, Prishe was travelling with Aerith; I wonder how many people figured that out.

I'll proof-read later.

Thanks to those that have stuck with me thus far and reviewed both this and my other fics!

_**Edit 08/08/2011**_- Since I may have been too vague in my attempt to get readers to deduce for themselves, I copy-pasted part of my reply to Indurrago's review for this chapter, detailing Lightning's reason for being persistent at getting Rinoa's name (**tl;dr, Lightning doesn't know what Squall is fighting for**):

Lightning's from an organized _military_ force, Guardian Corps, that protects civilians while Squall is from an organized _mercenary _group, which let's call SeeD for now (even if the term is inaccurate, since SeeD was originally conceived to hunt down Sorceresses).

_GC members_ have shown they care for _civilian's safety_ more than hunting fugitives, as seen when the GC members in ff13 voiced their complaints to PSICOM leader Yaag Rosch for taking his fighting to the streets, as well as playing mostly a _reactionary, defensive_ role in conflicts to protect civilians. SeeD, on the other hand, are very _aggressive_ in their roles as mercenaries, since they perform armed military interventions, even assassination attempts _without prior provocation_, at the whim of a command from the highest bidder. SeeD's only 'true' loyalty, as far as_ Lightning is concerned_, is to themselves. Doesn't help that Squall is Squall; he doesn't talk about his _feelings_. Lightning, at the beginning of ff13, also shows some slight bigotry, as seen when she didn't believe Serah and acted harshly towards her when the younger Farron was trying to explain her l'Cie situation.

While there _might_ be slight jealousy in Lightning's part, it didn't play a major role in learning Rinoa's name.


	7. Chapter 7: Into A Time Of Darkness

"You must defeat the god of discord. Stop Chaos, and end this conflict."

Lightning looked over to the corner of the gathered warriors as the light from Cosmos' blessing died down, the shapeless crystals bestowed upon them disappearing into nothingness. She spotted the cool figure of Squall as he stared at Cosmos' benevolent form with narrow blue eyes. As if sensing her gaze, the man's eyes flickered towards her, giving her a curt nod before folding his arms with a frown- _This is bullshit_, his stance seemed to scream- before returning his attention back to their Goddess. She did the same.

"Go now, my warriors." The blonde Goddess of Harmony commanded powerfully, yet her tone carried still the concern she held for her chosen avatars. "Be swift and be careful. I pray that you all will return safely to me."

The pinkette drowned out the cheers her more vocal comrades hollered whilst she made a beeline for the leather-clad Squall, who turned to her direction upon seeing her approach.

"Squall," she spoke authoritatively as if speaking to a soldier, which wasn't all _that_ farfetched, and the man cocked his head to the side questioningly at her tone but otherwise said nothing, his gaze remaining aloof. "Report."

The man stared at her weirdly before nodding in understanding and straightening his posture before speaking in a military manner. "This _crystal_ business is a bit hard to believe."_ Just like everything else in this world._ Squall left the unspoken sentence hanging. "Still, even with this pointlessness, we _have_ to fight." The pinkette could tell from Squall's irritated tone that he wasn't too thrilled with the prospect of, in Cosmos' words, 'going out and searching' but, as an obedient soldier, he accepted his directive despite his misgivings.

Squall spotted the approaching forms of Lightning's posse- his blue eyes noting specifically at the black-haired man with a machine gun- out of the corner of his eye and he prepared his retreat.

Lightning saw the brunet's eyes flicker quickly and she leaned forward to grab his arm just as he made to leave. His eyes darted back towards her, though instead of anger like before, she could only see annoyance reflecting in his orbs. Knowing she once more had his attention, she let go of his arm. "What are we going to do about this, then?"

"Nothing." His quick reply caught her off guard and her eyes narrowed suspiciously, a gesture he took that she meant for him to continue. "This should help us end this war, either way." _Or get me closer to killing that witch._

The pinkette noticed Squall's eyes harden but refrained from commenting about it, choosing to let the matter slide. At least with this, their war efforts finally had a direction instead of the mindless hunting down or waiting for the opposition that they had been doing. Still, as Squall had pointed out, they were needlessly thrust into this pointless war and her only reason for fighting was to return home. And she wasn't sure if she could put her life on the life for that cause without hesitation.

Squall's eyes once more flickered to behind her.

"Hey Light." A cheerful voice called out.

Lightning turned around just as Laguna came to a stop a few paces before them, a cheesy smile on his lips. Laguna's eyes widened slightly, having just noticed Squall with the pinkette, and gave a friendly wave at the brunet. "Squall."

Squall nodded once in acknowledgement while Lightning folded her arms and asked the gunman. "We ready to go?"

"Everyone's waiting by the beach." Laguna spoke self-assuredly. His gaze shifted towards Squall and he smiled. "So, do you want to come with us?"

Lightning looked at Squall after Laguna's asked his question, having just dawned on her that she assumed Squall would be willing to follow her and, consequently, her group in their search for the crystals. After all, the duo had been travelling together, albeit unwillingly at first, and, minus a few bumps along the road, had reached an understanding towards each other. Thus, a frown made its way across her features when Squall responded with a one-worded reply.

"No." Squall turned down the offer, speaking with a finality that seemed to expect that one word to explain his reasons.

Laguna scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Figured as much."

Lightning wouldn't have any of that, though. "Why?" she questioned, though there was a sliver of accusation in her voice. The pinkette's gaze hardened; surely the man wasn't _that_ hard-headed? "It would be safer to travel in groups. _You_ should know." She left the earlier rescue situation hanging, knowing Squall understood what she was talking about.

Squall looked at her coolly. "It's faster with more groups." He turned away and watched as Bartz and Zidane ran off, no doubt challenging each other to a race to find the their crystals. His gaze returned back to the pinkette, who still had her arms folded; showing him that she still wasn't convinced by his reasons. "Cosmos wants _all_ of us to find our crystals. Her master plan involves our gathered power." Squall's blue eyes hardened determinedly. "The faster we each gather our crystals, the faster we can finish off Chaos."

The black-haired Laguna closed his eyes and seemed to be nodding his head in thought, though in reality Squall's voice was coming in one ear and out the other. Both he and Lightning could tell that the brunet just didn't want to travel with anyone.

"Fine." Lightning amended, accepting his excuse. She would have pressed the matter further had the person been someone other than Squall but, seeing as it _was_ the brunet she was speaking to, she believed that he could achieve his mission in his terms. Still, the incident from the day before continued to leave a sour taste in her mouth and maybe that's why she found herself worrying over the man more than she should, and so she forcibly turned away, marching towards the beach as she spoke meaningfully over her shoulder. "Stay alive, Squall." _We will meet again when this is over._ Her mouth failed to convey.

Squall blinked at the unexpected sentiment and Laguna whistled knowingly at the side. The black-clad mercenary found himself raising his voice at her in reply. "You too." _Don't die on us._

Lightning paused briefly in her step, the only acknowledgment he received that she heard him, before the ex-Sergeant continued walking.

There was a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye and his eyes narrowed at the green-eyed Laguna, making the man pause his attempt at patting the brunet on the shoulder reassuringly, and instead brought his raised arm backwards to scratch his head.

"Er, that was new." Laguna let out an uneasy chuckle. Squall's eyes continued to pierce through the man's green orbs and Laguna sighed. "She's worried about you, you know?" he nodded his head to the side, motioning at the walking pinkette.

Squall knew she was worried; he saw her sneaking concerned glances at him whenever she thought he wasn't looking ever since they arrived the day before. The brunet didn't know what her problem was; he had recovered from his ordeal, and now he had an objective.

"Why don't you join us?" Laguna continued, snapping Squall out of his thoughts.

The mercenary stared at the man pointedly and Laguna placed his hands on his hips, looking at him admonishingly. "How d'you expect to make any friends with that kind of attitude?"

Squall's lips thinned, anticipating Laguna's lecture, and folded his arms. "This is a battlefield. Why do I need 'to make friends'?" Laguna stroked his chin, eyes twinkling cheerfully at Squall's words. "Why get to know each other when we're all heading back to our own worlds, anyway?"

Laguna shook his head. "Oh please, you can't be serious?" he asked incredulously before looking at Squall wryly. "For a grown man, that's kind of naïve." The green-eyed man placed his right hand over his heart and closed his eyes theatrically. "If it's not forever, there's no point getting close to anyone."

_That's not what I meant._ Squall frowned at the man's mocking.

**_Of course. _** Shiva interjected sarcastically, showing that she had been listening in on Squall's conversations. **_Your words were less melodramatic._**

Squall ignored Shiva's taunting when Laguna opened his eyes, looking at him warmly. "Listen. Even if we lived in the same world, there'd come a time when life'd pull us apart. S'not a reason to avoid people." Laguna looked away wistfully and Squall unfolded his arms. "Even if it's someone you love more than life itself, that time'll come." The man with a machine gun continued, not noticing the gunblade-user's eyes narrowing. "There's no guarantee you'll even get to say good bye." Laguna turned back to Squall with a cheerful smile. "But before that happens, you get to be together, right? You can't just waste all that potential for a rewarding relationship." He threw his arms to the side, trying to get his point across. "Squall! Do you see what I'm saying?"

"Shut up." Squall growled angrily, trying to reign in his temper. Laguna took a step back cautiously when Squall's eyes gleamed in fury before speaking venomously. "I _see_ perfectly, but I'll do this _my_ way." _I don't _need _any more baggage. He_ abruptly turned around and marched off.

Laguna shook his head and smiled sadly at the brown-haired mercenary's retreating form. "You gotta forget about the stuff you can't change, Squall." He spoke into the winds, hoping his voice would reach the troubled man. "You gotta enjoy the now."

Squall looked back at the man and replied, an underlying edge in his voice. "I have a mission to fulfill. It's best if you do yours."

**_…Squall,_** Shiva called out in his mind comfortingly. **_You should listen to him._**

The mercenary continued on his way to one of the many exits of the Sanctuary. _There's no point listening to his naïve babble. Not when we have a job to do._

Shiva shook her head sadly, realizing that her words would not reach her contractor yet, what with the time witch's actions still fresh in his mind. And from what she had gathered, Squall did not even remember _who_ Laguna is.

The gun-toting man watched as Squall disappeared from sight before sighing. Laguna made his way towards his group.

Lightning looked up at the man's approach and pushed herself off the wall she had been leaning against. "How is he?" she asked evenly, masking her worry. Laguna shook his head dejectedly and Lightning's lips thinned. "There's no helping it then." She sighed before steeling herself, pushing her worries about her fellow warrior aside so she could focus on their current objective. She could only just hope now that Squall wouldn't do anything reckless. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Aerith's eyes drifted to her side as she watched her companion wolf down her meal with her usual gusto, the Elvaan's arms blurring from flame-roasted fish to fish, having been able to fix her earlier wooden fishing rod. Prishe, noticing a pause in the flower-girl's reading, offered one half-eaten fish to her companion with a wide, food-stuck-between-her-teeth grin, to which the flower girl politely decline with a smile and a wave.<p>

"You sure?" Prishe's garbled voice came out as her words fought against the aquatic meat in her mouth. Aerith shot her a stern mothering look and Prishe took the hint, unconsciously making a show of how she swallowed her bites. The Elvaan's blue eyes widened when one particular bolus refused to worm its way to an acidic grave and the purple-haired girl beat her fist against her chest in panic.

The brown-haired flower girl giggled against her fist once her companion succeeded and started gasping for her lost breath, the purple-haired girl's blue eyes narrowing at the brunette's mirth.

"Not funny." Prishe pouted, making Aerith giggle more. The Elvaan gave an annoyed huff before resuming her eating at a leisurely pace, if albeit with a slightly indignant air.

"Sorry, but it is." She countered with a soft smile. Prishe ignored the brunette, and Aerith resumed trying to make sense of the faded letters of the tattered notes. Her gut instinct was telling her these notes held the key- or at least a clue- to their situation.

Her eyes glanced towards her feasting companion again. She didn't know how long it had been since she woke up in this world, and despite her disoriented state as she didn't recognize those ruins in the middle of a desert, was called to gather in a floating volcano. Hoping the answers she sought would be revealed there, she travelled by the beach, her legs somehow knowing where exactly that place was.

That's when she spotted an odd comb of silver and gold glinting in the sunlight. Curiously, the flower girl picked it up and scanned the watery expanse before her, wondering where the hairpiece came from. And that's when her sights came across the Elvaan's drowning body in the watery depths.

Ignoring the ominous feeling wrought by the grisly sight, the flower girl didn't think twice about diving in and retrieving the probable corpse and bringing her to shore, if only to give the girl a proper burial if she had gone over the deep end. Thusly, she cut the bonds holding the shorter girl in the water and swam towards the shore, the purple-haired girl in her tight grasp.

She didn't waste any time checking for a nonexistent pulse; with tears in her eyes- tears which she did not know the cause of; wasn't this girl _just_ a stranger?- she quickly administered the proper treatment, blowing air into the unmoving girl's mouth as she pumped her magick-laced hands against the tanned girl's chest. She knew her actions were futile- who knew _how_ long the Elvaan had been kept submerged?- and was surprised when the girl's small frame jerked upwards into a sitting position as she let out choked coughs, expelling the water clogging up her lungs.

The brunette rubbed her back soothingly, helping the girl let out all the water.

_"I swear… murder… stupid brute." The wheezed out. Aerith kept up her white magick, casting her curaja against the girl's chest to hopefully prevent any internal bleeding from her rather violent coughs. "Use… stupid ass sword… toothpick!" she hacked a bit more._

_"Are you alright?" The flower girl asked when the other girl's fits stopped, her concern apparent in her voice._

_The Elvaan's head snapped at her with her blue eyes narrowed. "Does it look like I'm- AERITH?"_

_Aerith's eyes widened for the second time in surprise within the last few minutes when she was tackled into the sandy beach. She wondered where this just-recently-dead girl gained her energy and, more importantly, how she knew her name. _

_"I'm so happy- you have no idea!" the girl exclaimed, oblivious to the flower girl's confusion, before her ears seemed to drop at the realization that the flower girl _was_ here. "You're… you're stuck here. Too."_

_The girl dressed in pink sat up straight when the suddenly depressed Elvaan got off her. Deciding to ignore her sudden mood swing, she reached out towards the other girl, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for asking you this all of a sudden but," the Elvaan looked at her, and she could've sworn there were tears glistening in the girl's blue eyes. "Do I know you?"_

_The pointy-eared girl closed her eyes before shaking her head slowly. She flashed the flower girl what was supposed to be a cheerful smile; to Aerith, it couldn't be any more further from the truth. "No. Yes. Maybe." The Elvaan's cryptic words were uncharacteristically spoken softly, and Aerith could tell she was hurting inside. The purple-haired girl sighed before standing up, brushing the sand out of her damp shorts. "Listen, you gotta go."_

_Aerith reached out and grasped the Elvaan's hand, making the long-eared girl look down at the brunette. Aerith shot her a warm smile, coming to a decision on what she would do. "My name is Aerith, though it seems you already knew that." The Elvaan looked at her questioningly, wondering where this was going, and the flower girl continued. "May I know my travel companion's name?"_

_The Elvaan's features suddenly brightened when Aerith's ploy dawned on her. She jerked her hand back and struck a pose, her right fist cocked backwards while her left arm was extended in a mock-fighting stance. "Some may call me 'beautiful'," she suddenly leaped in the air, doing a back flip before landing back on the same spot, thrusting her right hand forward with her index and middle finger spread apart, and flashed the brunette a wide grin. "but you can call me the 'mighty Prishe'!"_

_Aerith clapped her hands joyously while Prishe bowed her head, lapping up her audience's praise._

_All-the-while, the war began elsewhere._

"Ae~rith~? Yoo-hoo~?" Aerith snapped out of her daze at the sound of Prishe's singsong. The Elvaan girl was still seated on the log, though only one last skewered fish was by the fire. Aerith figured her companion was saving it for her.

"Oh, sorry." Blushing sheepishly, the flower girl folded her papers neatly before hiding them in her pocket, reaching out and grabbing the last fish. She noticed Prishe's eyes continued to peer questioningly at her. "What is it?"

Prishe folded her arms in thought. "You seemed lost of all a sudden." She opened one blue eye, giving her a suspicious stare. "You sure you don't want to go join in on the fighting?"

Aerith frowned. "Why are you asking this?" _Again?_

The Elvaan girl looked away, not wanting to meet her companion's gaze. "It's just… we haven't been met with any success." Prishe spoke, her voice unusually somber. "We've travelled most of this land and we're still not any close to knowing what that golden light was."

Aerith nodded her head slowly. After the two had introduced- or reintroduced, in Prishe's case- themselves to each other, Prishe had explained how she got stuck submerged underwater and, more importantly, the truth behind the battle. A part of Aerith didn't want to believe in the purple-haired girl's words, but she could not deny the sincerity in Prishe's voice, the utter certainty and truth of the emotions dancing in tanned girl's blue eyes as she recounted her tale.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Prishe's seemingly farfetched story was indeed the truth and her resolve to stand by this energetic girl grew stronger. The only clue Prishe had so far was the golden light that bathed the land whenever one side fell; according to the Elvaan, it seemingly reset the entire world- a Light of Purification, Aerith offhandedly romanticized much to her companion's irritation.

"If you join the battle now," Prishe continued, still refusing to face Aerith. "Then at least you won't be stuck in this world anymore." The Elvaan refused to elaborate further on that morbid thought.

Aerith stabbed the fish back into the ground before approaching the sullen girl and sitting herself beside her. "We both know that's a lie." The flower girl spoke patiently. Prishe's ear twitched at her approach, yet still didn't want to look at her. "I will die, and chances are, I will return with my memories wiped." Aerith brought her hands together as she slouched forward and played with her thumbs. "And you'll be all alone, wandering this land for answers." She lifted her gaze, staring at the treetops wistfully. "Don't you think that's sad?"

"I'm used to it." Prishe stubbornly spoke and Aerith could easily smell her lie. "I'm just worried about this; maybe there really isn't an end to this cycle?"

The flower girl stopped playing with her fingers, steadily reaching out her hand to cup the other girl's cheek, turning her face so that the purple-haired girl could _see_ the determination in her eyes. "There's no guarantee that that's the truth. And even if it was, I promised I'd travel with you until I can no longer stand, didn't I?"

Prishe's hand reached upward to cup her own, pulling the appendage away as she smiled wryly. "_He_ promised he'd return to help out. But so far, he hasn't." She hung her head sadly, feeling all her strength leaving with the wind.

Aerith remained steadfast, speaking her next words with utmost sincerity. "He'll return. _You_ need to trust in him more; a man with that much pride would never break his promise." The flower girl's lips twitched mischievously. "And when he does come back, you can admonish him for taking so long."

The storm clouds in the Elvaan's moods seemed to part and a grin, though small, made its way across her lips. "Yeah… you're right." Prishe stood up and raised her arms, stretching her back like a bow before letting out her pent up breath, turning around to smile winningly at her companion, who returned it warmly.

Prishe tapped her knuckles against her purple-framed temple.

"I'll clock him a good one."

* * *

><p>"There's a fire!" Vaan exclaimed when he came running back from scouting ahead. Lightning reacted first, rushing ahead the party and past the sky pirate, Vaan, Tifa, and Laguna trailing after her as they made their way deeper into the snowy mountain and in the direction of the black smoke.<p>

The pinkette's sprint slowed down to a jog as she saw that the fire had been put out. Nevertheless, she clicked her tongue in annoyance; both she and Squall were in this moogle town just the day previous. Had they stayed longer, they may have prevented whatever caused this catastrophe.

"You looking for a place to stay, kupo?" one moogle floated up towards her.

Lightning shook her head. "Not now. What happened here?"

The moogle scratched the back of its furry head. "Manikins, kupo. They came out of nowhere, kupo." The merchant explained before shivering at the memory. "It was scary, kupo!"

"Any casualties?" Lightning pressed on. She cocked her head to the side, seeing her companions approach her location.

"None, kupo." The moogle shook its head before puffing out its chest proudly. "We moogles are good at hiding, kupo!"

"Light!" Laguna shouted when they were in earshot. "Don't suddenly run off like- woah, what happened here?"

"Manikin attack." Lightning reported curtly before folding her arms across her chest challengingly at the gun specialist. "And you all followed, didn't you?"

"Er, that's not the point." Laguna scratched his cheek in thought before continuing. "We're weaker when we're spread apart. 'Split and smothered', ya know?"

"'Divide and conquer', Laguna." Vaan corrected the man cheerfully.

"Yeah, that's it!"

Lightning frowned. "Tell that to Squall. He's off on his own." Laguna's mouth opened to answer her rhetoric with an 'I did' but Lightning cut him off quickly. "And as I pointed out; you all followed me."

"Still, it's the thought-"

"Principle." Vaan interjected.

"-principle that counts." The man with a machine gun's eye twitched at the cheeky sky pirate, who started whistling innocently much to Tifa's amusement. "Thank you, Vaan."

"No problem." The sky pirate had the audacity to give him a thumbs-up. Laguna's shoulders slumped dejectedly and Tifa and Vaan patted him on the back.

"Kupo?" the moogle spoke up, flying in between the four warriors. It tilted its head questioningly. "One of you is travelling by himself, kupo?"

Lightning just nodded her head neutrally as Laguna spoke. "Well, he kinda doesn't like crowds."

The pinkette rolled her eyes. _Understatement of the century._

"Well kupo, I hope he'll be alright kupo. The manikins that attacked us were heading towards that white tower, kupo." It furrowed its brows in thought. "Come to think, they should've crossed your path, kupo."

The Laguna, Tifa, and Vaan shot each other puzzled looks while Lightning turned towards the direction of the Sanctuary, eyes narrowed partly in worry and partly in anger at herself for letting Squall travel on his own.

_Stop that,_ she chided herself. _We're supposed to be able to trust each other. There's no point rushing to aid him; he can fend for himself._

Despite her thoughts, her fingers anxiously twitched towards her weapon holster.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Well, first off, thanks to NinjaSheik, Thien, and Indurrago for bothering to leave a review for chapter 6. Inspiration for writing came from the sudden surge of Squall/Lightning-related goodness over at our deviantart account, tanikala; Yurei-chan in particular drew us one tasty eye candy. Thanks Yurei-chan!

Edited 16/08/2011: I'll finish this chapter here and save Squall and Shiva's scene for later. Too ill to type. Thanks for the words of encouragement!


	8. Chapter 8: Feeling the Bonds

_Thunder roared in the air as the sky cried for the fallen._

_The black haired man gently laid the unmoving monk on the ground, his tears of anguish mixing with the sky's own. "Why…?" he asked, his voice hollow at the sudden loss of his friend._

"_She was on the other side." Came the monotonous reply of the man he once considered his friend. His companion was devoid of emotion, and he cursed himself for believing this man was different from what he appeared, for thinking that the monk was just being paranoid._

_Maybe if he had just believed in her, she wouldn't be lying in her own blood now._

"_That's it? That's your big reason?" His voice rose with each word. "You would kill her _just_ because we're told to fight their group? !" he drew gripped the hilt of his massive blade tightly. "Is that it? !"_

"…" _The brunet didn't say anything at first, bowing his head in quick contemplation before raising them, steel blue eyes hardened in determination. "She was protecting the witch."_

"_So you'd cut through her to get to your 'prey'?" The raven-haired man shouted, his damp hair falling over his eyes. He blinked back his tears at the sudden revelation. "How can you be so… heartless?"_

"_What's done is done." The brunet turned away. "She was standing in my way. That's all that matters."_

"_Don't turn your back on me!" the man raised his voice, making the brunet stop in his tracks. "I thought you were different, Squall." He slowly stood up, head still bowed despite the anger welling up inside him. "I believed that you were better than this- that you wouldn't stoop to cold-blooded murder. Joke's on me, eh?" His body trembled as he tried to contain his rage. "Well, Squall, I'm here in front of you now!" he raised his blade, pointing it at the brunet challengingly. _

"_You're letting your emotions control you, Fair." Squall cautioned him, but nevertheless turned to face the angry SOLDIER. His eyes narrowed at the man before speaking sternly. "Stand. Down."_

"_No, Squall. Prishe was right about you." Zack refused, his mako-infused eyes glowing hauntingly at the loss of both people he considered friends; Prishe died protecting _her_ friend, and Squall turned out to be a cold-blooded murderer. His eyes focused. "I'll show you the true power of a SOLDIER First Class!"_

_Zack charged at him like a man possessed, and Squall could only wonder if this was Zack's so-called 'friendship'. _

_Squall quickly drew his gunblade and met the incoming onslaught head-on, ignoring the numbing turmoil inside him._

_If _this_ was the man's friendship… then he didn't need it. He was only doing what SeeD was made to do. Otherwise…_

_Fate really was cruel._

_Their blades clashed while the sky continued to cry._

Squall cracked an eye open, glaring lifelessly at the watery expanse in front of him.

_**Do you believe me now?**_ Shiva's questioning voice came, and Squall continued to glare at the shimmering water.

No. He didn't believe the woman of ice, yet. She had earned his trust, a long time ago, but what she was suggesting was absurd- it made this whole world pointless, it made their _lives_ pointless. Were they really just pawns of the gods?

_That's not enough proof._ Squall thought back, denying the memory even as a sinking feeling descended on him, making the hairs on his nape stand on end.

_**It's the truth, Squall.**_ Shiva explained steadily, trying her best to convince her contractor.

_That could have happened before I came to this world._ He listed out a possibility. He shook his head, gathering his thoughts before telling his trusted Guardian Force resolutely. _Show me more._

Floating in the white world, Shiva raised her head as she felt what the _humes_ called a 'glimmer of hope' spring up from inside her at her contractor's willingness to believe her, before that glimmer dimmed when she registered his request. _**I can't yet.**_

In the waking world, Squall folded his arms from his spot against the tree, before thinking back slightly disappointed. _Why not?_

_**I hadn't finished my recuperation when I made the transfer.**_ Shiva absently brushed her blue locks from her shoulder; she could feel the spark of irritation in her contractor at her lack of further proof in spite of her insistence that her words rang true. _**I had only regained the energy to move.**_

_Why didn't you wait longer? _Squall questioned objectively, and he could feel the wry smile on Shiva's countenance.

_**That woman, Lightning. She had discovered how to enter this space of her own accord.**_ Squall frowned, recalling the pink-haired woman's admission to being privy to some of his memories. _**I and her guardian feared that she would do something reckless and her mind would be wrecked beyond repair. She also had the potential to peruse your memories whilst I recovered. **_Shiva gave a proud chuckle. _**I trust you appreciate my haste?**_

Squall palmed his head; trust Lightning's recklessness and relentless attitude to getting at the bottom of things without thinking of the consequences to _force_ a symbiotic Guardian Force out of recuperation.

_Thank you, Shiva._ He meant it. His memories were _his_ and his _alone._ None was to be privy to them _without_ his approval. He recalled his encounter with the illusion of Rinoa, sadistic courtesy of the time witch.

He pushed himself off the tree, preparing his hunt to quell his rising anger.

_**Squall?**_ Shiva cut in, feeling her contractor's building ire.

_You rest, Shiva. I have a mission to complete._ He commanded, bottling his emotions as he entered the forest, drawing his gunblade and swinging it once before resting its dull edge on his shoulder. _When you're ready, we shall decide what to do next._

Shiva mutely nodded, and the silence was Squall's affirmation. She was first affronted by how callous Squall became, but realized that Squall's grudge match against Ultimecia was personal, and recalled that Squall dealt with everything personal through _repression_. She revisited that recent memory upon her entry, worried about how her contractor was acting, and she felt the anguish Squall felt at the manipulative witch's taunt. However, Shiva felt that there was more to the time witch than she let on, and cursed her inability to fulfill her _contractor's wishes _when she volunteered to lay dormant in _that_ scarlet stone.

His return took too long, and she had no choice but to _feed_ on his other memories just to remain alive.

She needed to hurry so she could knock some sense into him. The Guardian Force once more curled into a ball, but not before cautioning softly, and not for the first time wishing she could place a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. _**Things are not as they first appear, my contractor. Trust in **_**them **_**once more, for your safety.**_

Squall said nothing as he continued making his way through the forest.

Shiva looked around as her fellow Guardian Forces gathered around her, giving them a curt nod- **he's all yours**- before closing her eyes and cutting off her connection with her contractor, floating in place as her hair and cape billowed upwards.

* * *

><p>Ultimecia watched as the man stalked through the forest, her yellow eyes obsessively tracing his every detail. There was an irritated aura in his steps, and the way he looked around gave off a paranoid air.<p>

_Good._

It hadn't been long since the self-proclaimed Emperor and de facto ruler of Chaos' Warriors, Mateus, had discovered the Rift hidden away in the Gateway to a Foreign World, and ordered the armored Exdeath to open it, unleashing the manikins and making them seek out the blood of Cosmos' warriors. While she would've been pleased at ending _that_ accursed SeeD's pitiful life personally, she had grown to like this world, for there were only a few hunters breathing down her neck, allowing her the time to continue mastering her spell, and thus wanted to see if Garland and Mateus' theory held a grain of truth.

After all, should the manikins succeed in permanently tearing _that_ foolish man's existence from this realm, who was she to get in their way? And if that meddling SeeD did return once more, then she'd enjoy tormenting him for all eternity.

Unlike that _pathetic_ SeeD, she had regained all her memories, both from their world and the previous cycles, and she was eagerly anticipating the time whence she paid him his bloody dues. So in the meantime, she'd continue to torment him, wearing down _that_ weak mental fortitude he was so proud of, goading him until he no longer cared about his comrades, and sap him of his strength until the manikins could destroy everything that was her object of hatred.

He deserved this for everything he did and will do. She'd play that foolish SeeD's empty bravado before slitting the man's throat; she, of all people, knew he was _not_ as strong as most thought him to be.

She waved an arm outwardly in a circular motion ending at her waist and stepped into the dark portal she made, intent on causing more havoc on the _foolish man_ as she vanished from her vantage point.

* * *

><p>Squall's eyes hardened when he felt the ground start to rumble, his body tensed in anticipation of what he knew was coming at him. Sure enough, from above the rocky hill, the first wave of manikins charged towards him, their blades drawn menacingly as they roared their battle cries in that mangled voice only they could make.<p>

He held his weapon at the ready, his breath calm despite his racing heart as he quickly glanced around his surroundings, formulating a battle plan. His eyes narrowed when the manikins continued to emerge from the high cliff.

_I'll have to chance it._

Squall felt a sudden shift in the wind and quickly jumped backwards, narrowly dodging the three Delusory Dragoons that tried to impale him with their preemptive strike.

"Come and get me." He taunted, strategically retreating back into the forest.

The three crystalline figures rose to their feet and were about to pursue their prey when a sizzling sound made them pause. They barely had time to register Squall's mystic flurries on their footsteps before the brunet's spell detonated, taking their legs with them. The manikin horde continued their charge, trampling over their fallen comrades as they pushed onward to achieve their _perfection_.

The horde was forced to disperse, weaving around the forest's trees. The Ephemeral Vision in the frontlines growled impatiently as it ran, its eyes failing to catch sight of the lone Warrior of Cosmos. The orange manikin raced past a tree when a gloved hand suddenly grabbed its throat, its momentum elevating the strength behind the man's action as he slammed the manikin against the ground.

Squall leaped over the downed manikin just as an Imaginary Champion landed in its attempt to skewer him; instead, the light blue manikin ended up killing the Ephemeral Vision for him. Squall rolled forward, ducking below the irate Champion's horizontal slash as its lengthy blade shaved the trees around it. He didn't bother confronting the manikin, instead charging his weapon.

His blade started to glow with a sinisterly crimson aura and Squall charged forward, impaling the incoming mob as he tore through both foe and forest asunder. Another manikin suddenly leaped into the path of his revolver drive, and Squall was mildly stunned when the orange manikin thrust its chest out and his attack was stopped prematurely when he attempted to run it through.

The Ephemeral Phantom grabbed his outstretched arm and pulled him close, its fist already cocked back to deliver its brand of justice on the leather-clad SeeD. Squall instinctively brought his other arm up to absorb the blow, ignoring the growing bruise on his arm before kicking off the ground and tackling the orange manikin into the ground. His gunblade shimmered out of existence as Squall cocked his fist back before letting it fly, his weapon suddenly appearing as he buried his massive blade into the manikin's chest before pulling the trigger, ignoring the mangled scream the manikin let out as it shattered into inexistence.

Squall rolled to the side and quickly got to his feet, bringing his gunblade upwards to block the Imaginary Champion's oversized nodachi as the light blue manikin pinned him against the tree. His instincts tugged at him and Squall pushed against the wooden trunk behind him, using the additional force to break the Imaginary Champion's hold not a moment too late as the tree behind him exploded forwards, the massive cleaver of the False Stalwart catching the unsuspecting Champion on the chest, shattering the manikin from the strength of its blow.

The False Stalwart looked around menacingly as it tried to catch sight of the elusive brunet. A speck of brown caught its attention and its eyes shifted downwards, spotting its prey crouched in front of him with his gunblade held vertically with both hands.

"Die." Squall growled and thrust his blade upwards while standing, impaling the manikin's head through its chin before pulling the trigger to his revolver, the vibration from his weapon causing the armored manikin's head to explode.

Not pausing to regain his breath, for he knew a slight moment of reprieve was all it took for his hounding foes to slit his throat, Squall once more took off into the dense forest, huffing as he ran. A flash of color out of the corner of his made him instinctively reach out, a spell on his lips as his magick gathered around his hand, and grabbed its head before letting loose a triple firaga. He ignored the pained grunt of the stunned Imaginary Soldier as its unprotected face smoldered in his grasp before he threw the blue manikin against the hulking form of a Fallacious Giant when it emerged from the foliage.

The two manikins attempted to recover when Squall was suddenly on top of them, swinging his blade down without pause and lopping their heads off.

_This can work. _Squall thought as he stalked around the trees swiftly. His plan was working well; using the forest's terrain to his advantage as he thinned out the manikin's numbers. There was one major flaw in his strategy, and thus he patiently waited, not rushing yet not slowing down in his assault as he kept his wits about him for the signal.

_I should be thankful for this ambush_, Squall mused, leaping from the cover of the tree only to run his blade through the unsuspecting back of a Fallacious Thief, before swiftly disappearing into the foliage before the rest of its group converged towards the manikin's anguished cry. _But this isn't enough._

_This isn't _nearly_ enough._

Squall's thoughts darkened. This number wasn't nearly enough for him to vent his frustrations over Shiva's revelation and calm his thoughts. It wasn't nearly enough to quell his anger over the witch's morbid reminder.

A brown blur danced around the trees, and Squall flipped upwards in the air, dodging the massive spiraling ball of wind from the Horror of Antiquity, whose attack slammed into the ground, kicking up dirt and debris in its destructive wake. Squall felt his feet touch against the tree's branch and immediately kicked off from it, shooting downwards just as the brown manikin looked up, its crystalline eyes wide at his unexpected counterattack.

_A large explosion resounded in the clearing when her attack landed, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured their vision. A large spear of red suddenly cut through the cloud, dispersing the dust in its wake. Her eyes widened before quickly trying to dodge out of the way._

_The man's revolver dug into her side, and Squall watched as her face contorted in pain before she was flung into the rocky wall, slamming back and head first before crumpling into the ground below her. Not giving her time to recover, Squall charged forward with a roar, the tip of his gunblade dragging against the ground as he prepared to golf her head off._

_His foe looked up at his battle cry and pushed off against the ground. She once more didn't escape unscathed, as the relentless brunet's weapon managed to leave a large gash from her waist up to her shoulder._

_The purple haired girl flipped in mid-air, adrenaline fueling her battle spirit as she ignored the searing pain of her newest wound before curling into a ball, lashing out with both legs and managing to catch the stunned man in the chest and send him flying backwards._

_She landed on the ground before falling to one knee when her other leg gave way, panting furiously bordering on hyperventilation from the exertion. Pain was lancing throughout every corner of her being and she could feel a dull throb at the back of her head. Sweat and blood made her dark skin glisten morbidly, and it took all her willpower to force her eyes trained on the recovering man._

_Nevertheless, she couldn't help the cocky smirk from forming across her face._

"_That all you got?"_

Squall's blade dug into the ground, missing the brown manikin when it jumped back to avoid his skewering stab. The manikin suddenly leaped forward, shoulder-tackling Squall on the chest before twisting mid-attack, and Squall caught the brown manikin's fist before it impacted on his face.

He braced his feet against the ground before pulling the offending arm backwards with a twist, before kicking the much shorter manikin's unprotected knee, feeling its crystalline structure crunch against his boots. Still holding its arm, Squall threw a fist upwards, punching the shoulder of his prey from below and once more was greeted to the sound of its joint giving way over the Horror of Antiquity's pained scream. He threw the manikin away, an explosive blizzard bullet spelling its doom when it collided.

Squall retrieved his weapon quickly, feeling secure when his hand gripped the familiar handle before hoisting it upwards, knowing he was still not out of the red.

_Prishe._

That name rang through his mind, and he recalled the memory from Shiva. That name brought about conflicting emotions with its six letters. He shook his head. He needed to remain focused- he could ponder about the sense of urgency that name wrought later when he _wasn't_ fighting for his life.

The ground in front of him shook as a row of large stalagmites uprooted the trees, racing towards him, and Squall spotted the Idle Sky Pirate leap into the air over its attack, its magick gathered around its fists as it spun. Squall jumped forwards, knowing instinctively that he couldn't dodge around the cataclysm because of their battle-terrain. He braced himself for impact, bringing his weapon forward with his other hand resting against the flat side of his blade as it absorbed the manikin's fiery inferno.

Feeling its attack weaken, Squall immediately twisted his hold on his weapon, bringing its edge in contact with the golden manikin's hands before pulling the trigger to his weapon, the vibrations strong enough to cut through both the manikin's hands.

The Idle Sky Pirate could not even shout in pain over its lost limbs when Squall used the recoil from his earlier attack to position his weapon, running it straight through the manikin's head not a second later. Squall once more pulled the trigger to his weapon, not caring as the manikin's head exploded as he used the recoil to quickly withdraw his gunblade as he landed on the ground.

Beads of sweat trailed down his face from the manikin's constant attacks. He stilled his breath before moving again, though this time finding a relatively safe place to rest for a few more seconds before going back into the thick of the ambush.

_This is endless._ He thought angrily. He knew the manikins would keep on coming, and that fighting them would only mean he'd get worn out in the end. Squall assessed his options. _Retreating back to the Sanctuary would spell doom for Cosmos._ They were _too_ close to the Sanctuary. He also didn't have the option of simply clearing a path and running through the horde. He had to end this group _now_.

Not to mention that he didn't want to fallback so soon into his journey; he hadn't brought Ultimecia's head yet. _I need to press onwards more._

Squall took in a deep breath, preparing for his attack. He felt a rush of magic in the air before spells started bombarding him. He smirked; _this _was the signal he was waiting for. _Just in time._

He had anticipated that the mages of the manikins would hold back instead of jumping into his forest trap, waiting for their more melee comrades to attempt to flush him out with their numbers. However, as Squall had previously observed, while the manikins had a sense of camaraderie for each other, they weren't averse to trampling on one another to reach their prey, and so Squall had waited until the magick-savvy manikins lost their patience and let loose their fury- in essence thinning _their_ own numbers trapped in the forest.

_I was beginning to think I lost this gamble._ Squall thought wryly, running out of the forest as spell upon spell pelted his surroundings, setting the forest ablaze. The mages took longer to react than he had anticipated, and he was starting to worry that he read his enemy's actions wrongly.

Manikins started rushing at him from the front, and Squall added another observation to his list of the manikin's mannerisms. They didn't care that they were dying, continuing to persistently pursue their prey.

Squall growled as he gathered his magick once again, channeling it into his weapon. Ominous red energy manifested around his blade and Squall lunged forward, spearing through the incoming horde as he made his escape, exiting the forest amidst the spells raining around him.

He pushed forward, intent on taking out as many magick users as he could, when his charge was met with one like his own, pushing both him and his attacker apart.

Squall's eyes narrowed at the purple Transient Lion that looked back at him coolly, twirling its crystalline gunblade once before resting it on his shoulder mockingly. _That again._ Squall thought angrily.

Sadly, Squall had not time to ponder the coincidence as he leaped to the side and ran, dodging the many spells cast by the manikins. He glanced behind him, and spotted the Transient Lion giving chase. Squall growled before quickly cutting to the right, running towards the casting mages.

The purple manikin, seeing its chance to takedown the Warrior of Cosmos, leaped into the air with a roar, pulling on the trigger of its weapon while simultaneously channeling its magic, dashing forward in a blinding jet of blue light.

Squall, having already predicted how the manikin would react, dodged forward at the last second, rolling under the blizzard spells sent in his direction. The purple manikin landed and proceeded to chase after its prey when a blizzard spell struck its chest, knocking it into the ground. The Transient Lion craned its head to the side when it heard a sizzling sound, and its eyes widened at the glowing spell right beside its head before the ground around him exploded from the force of Squall's trap.

Squall ignored the dead manikin as he came out of his roll with a leap, quickly piercing his blade through the chest of an unsuspecting Phantasmal Harlequin. He pulled the trigger on his weapon once again, the gunpowder's ignition making his blade vibrate violently and Squall used that recoil to pull his weapon back before sweeping it horizontally, angry red orbs of energy surrounding him before he ignited them, the resulting explosion instantly killing the manikins in his vicinity.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, noting that there were still a _lot_ of manikins left. He hastily looked for an escape route while looking for the manikins that would give his escape the most trouble.

His musing was abruptly cut when he was made to jump; clearly the manikins didn't need time to recover from the sudden drop in their numbers. Squall's eyes narrowed in annoyance when a Capricious Reaper took to the skies. He felt the magick in the air suddenly shift, and recognized the tell-tale purple glow surrounding the reaper.

Squall lunged forward again, ducking under the onslaught unleashed by the rest of the manikins as he ran away from the Reaper's ultima shower. He noted with a small slight satisfaction that the flying manikin's attack was helping thin out the horde.

_I still have to get rid of that._ He thought determinedly, lashing out as he cleaved one Phantasmal Girl's outstretched arms after he dodged the fire spell she sent after him. He _hated_ this type of manikin, as they, much like Kuja, tended to fly around while they chanted their spells, raining havoc unlike the other mages as the Capricious Reapers were _much_ harder to hit. Thankfully, these light purple manikins didn't have the narcissistic genome's mouth, as listening to Kuja's self-serving drivel was already _half_ the battle.

He cursed when a Counterfeit Wraith emerged from the ground in front of him, its sickly green tentacles lashing out at him and making him jump backwards, halting his advance towards ending the high-flying Reaper. He heard electricity cackle around him and he once more jumped backwards with a flip, spying yet another Phantasmal Girl nearby.

_I need to retreat._

Squall spotted the Capricious Reaper waving its arms with a flourish, no doubt chanting another spell. He quickly sent a blizzard bullet its way, hoping it would stall the flying manikin from casting its magick. His hopes were unanswered, as the purple manikin merely floated to the side. It raised its arms upwards and Squall braced himself for whatever it was planning when he saw three small balls of fire impact on its chest, sending it crashing into the ground.

_What…?_

His question was cutoff when he heard the neigh of a horse. He turned around just in time to see a white horse leap out of the inferno that was the forest, a familiar pink-haired woman riding atop it with both her blades drawn, her cape billowing in the wind.

He felt his fighting spirit reignite at the sight.

"Squall!" Lightning shouted as she maneuvered her stallion towards him, cutting the manikins that tried to attack her while her steed simply barged through them. She quickly sheathed one of her dualswords before reaching a hand out to him, speaking urgently as she surveyed the gathered manikins. "Come on!"

Squall quickly glanced back, looking over the manikins remaining, eyes narrowed at the already-recovered Capricious Reaper that was once more in the skies, chanting its next attack, before shifting his attention back to the woman. His hands tensed around his weapon before barking his order at the mounted woman. "Throw me!"

Lightning leaned towards the brunet as her horse ran beside him, quickly gripping his outstretched hand before pulling _hard_, slinging the brown-haired man towards the flying menace as per his order. She quickly focused back on the manikins left in the ground, drawing both her blades and holding them at the ready before charging forward with a roar.

Squall immediately channeled his magick into his weapon, rocketing towards the manikin.

"Die, fool." Squall growled as he cut its body in half at the waist.

He quickly shifted his weight, twisting in mid-air while gathering his magick once again and dashing back towards the ground in a jet of cold blue, cutting through the unaware manikins caught in his wake. He landed right in Lightning's path, who had already made short work of the manikins around her.

The pink-haired woman slowed down as she approached his panting form before dismounting from her horse. She walked the short steps towards him with a frown.

"_Schoolboy_." She drawled out that annoying nickname again in a growl, and Squall could feel the displeasure in her voice. "How many more times do _I_ have to save your ass?"

Squall took a deep, calming breath before glaring at her. "I had _everything_ under control."

Lightning threw a haughty glance at their surroundings. The inferno behind her showed no signs of dying out yet, and craters littered their landscape. She folded her arms when she snapped her attention back at him before speaking sarcastically. "_Clearly_."

"What are _you_ doing here?" Squall ignored her displeasure and instead shot her with his own. _Weren't we clear that _I_ will travel alone?_

"I was worried." She confessed before exhaling softly, shaking her head, noting the many scrapes littering the young man's features. Honestly, his arrogant stubbornness was aggravating her nerves. He was such a man-child with his insistence on traversing his journey by himself. She placed a hand on her hip, raising her brow as she gave him a once-over. "And it seems it was for good reason, too."

Squall stared at her, his eyes still as cool as the weapon in his grasp.

"I see." Squall muttered, making up his mind as he approached the woman slowly. "Hey."

Lightning tilted her head to the side questioningly.

Squall ran his blade through the woman.

* * *

><p>"What's he like?" Aerith asked her companion absently as she stroked her purple hair soothingly.<p>

Prishe was a really odd girl, Aerith found. Despite her appearance, the Elvaan girl was _much_ older than anyone she knew, yet acted like a child most of the time. She was brash and impatient; belying the wisdom Aerith knew she had, for the Elvaan displayed on _rare_ occasions an understanding only time could teach. The flower girl supposed Prishe was just simple-minded that way, wearing her wants and needs on her emotion-colored sleeves, though that wasn't entirely accurate.

The Elvaan girl opened her eyes, her blue orbs looking upwards from her spot on Aerith's lap. "Him? He's a jerk." She replied without pause and Aerith stifled her laughter at her frank responses. The girl never sugarcoated her words, and _never_ pulled any of her punches. Prishe frowned, noticing the mirth in her companion's features with a pout. "Hey, you asked!"

Aerith shook her head slowly with a smile before beaming down at the monk. "You've been calling him that for a while. Is he anything _else_?"

Prishe's brows met in thought as she contemplated the brunette's question. "Well… at first I thought he was heartless asshole." The purple haired girl confessed softly. "I mean, I knew about him and what he does from a friend, see? At first I didn't believe her, until I met that jerk." Prishe nodded her head resignedly. "Then he attacked."

Aerith waited patiently, watching as the light in Prishe's eyes darkened. Biting her bottom lip, the brunette prodded gently, hoping to dissuade her companion from _those_ thoughts. "And then?"

Prishe blinked before looking up at her with renewed light, as if snapping out of a trance. "Eh, we met again." She commented offhandedly with a wave before resting her hand back on her stuffed belly. "Then I kept my eye on him for a while. Eventually, I realized he was a jerk." Prishe nodded her head at the end, her tone decisive. "A _very_ stubborn jerk."

It was Aerith's turn to blink, still puzzled as she tried to make out what Prishe was getting at. _That was it?_ "Why are you waiting for him then?"

The Elvaan girl quickly turned away, watching the river run beside them contemplatively. They had been following this river as they made their way to their camp to store their findings. "He's stubborn." She repeated with a hint of amusement. "So stubborn, that when he promised he'd help find a way to end this cycle…" There was something in Prishe's eye that made Aerith hold her breath. Not noticing her companion's intense stare, Prishe continued. "… I was sure his _stubbornness_ would see us through."

"… What?"

Prishe quickly leaped to her feet, patting her clothes quickly before slapping her cheeks once then raised her arms high above her head in a stretch. "Hey, look at the time!" she quickly did a few squats before stretching her back again. "Sun's running; let's go, go, go!"

The Elvaan girl suddenly took off, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake, and leaving a dumbfounded Aerith behind as she scouted ahead.

"… What …?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I've been having fun updating Scenery Called 'Everyday' recently; I've somehow written four shots in a row, with two more in the works o_0.

I've posted links to Farronhart fanarts I've found in my profile- the ones I'd like to point you all towards are Eirlys-Tylluan's pieces :D they've drawn up several amazing works- go check them out when you can!

Edited 05/09/2011: Chapter finally done, minus proofreading. Admittedly, I had a lot more things to add since I'm trying to rush Prishe's meeting with Squall but I can't be assed to write another potential 5k+ words at the moment, what with everything going on (;_;), so I'll save it for next chapter. Thanks again for your support and reviews, everyone!


	9. Chapter 9: Fragile Snow

"Dodge this!"

Magick and smoke the air war cries as the atmosphere permeated with an oppressive aura, the skies briefly flashed before an ominous light crashed onto the ground like the hammer of god, kicking up dust and debris within its destructive wake and filling the air with the scent of ozone.

Lightning didn't break from her run as she crouched to the right during her sprint, effortlessly dodging the telegraphed thrust with inches to spare before she dug her left foot on the soft ground below with an audible stomp that left a foot-sized crater in its wake before twisting her body, grasping the hilt of her blade with both hands as she used the torque with her waist as a pivot in her next attack, slashing diagonally upwards with deceptive strength and cleanly cutting her attacker's arm off its axis when it tried to correct its momentum by leaning backwards after its failed impalement. The pinkette pressed onwards with a roar, her left hand instinctively grabbing the severed arm before it hit the ground as she continued with her spin, easily closing the meager distance her foe tried to retreat with between them within milliseconds before she dug its own weapon through its chest before continuing her run without missing a beat, stepping on its quadriceps and eventually torso, firing round after round from her Blazefire Saber as she went, ignoring its agonized screams before she blew its head off then used its shoulders as a springboard, shifting her weight as she twisted her body during her forward leap as she dodged the spell-fire sent her way before tackling her hapless foe once she came out of her mid-air corkscrew, her momentum easily knocking the crystalline figure to the ground.

She drew her weapon high above her with both hands before slamming her blade downwards, ending the disoriented manikin before it could recover. Standing up slowly, the pink-haired warrior took stock of the raging battle around her.

Lightning could hear the hollow bangs from Laguna's guns firing one and again and again like a one-man firing squad, could feel the magick sing its ominous elegy as Vaan and Tifa interwove their knowledge of the mystic arts in their own unique fighting styles. Despite the havoc and destruction she and her fellow warriors wrought into the numbers of their pursuers, the pink-haired soldier knew they _couldn't_ keep up this fight.

She could only hope that _this _was the group that ravaged the moogle town, for she knew her fellow warriors travelled with less numbers than her own following. Squall himself was travelling alone, and she berated the trust that sparked between herself and the brunet over the past few days that made her _believe_ in his words. As pleasant as it was to believe that the stubborn man would still be alive, once more seeing the numbers at which their foes attacked with put things into morbid perspective, and the prospect of the scarred man fending off his pursuers and falling in the process was becoming increasingly apparent.

_No. He _will_ survive._ She convinced herself, trying to bottle the sliver of guilt she felt for allowing the younger warrior to traverse onwards alone in search of his own crystal. _I told him to stay alive._

Her worries were suddenly cut when she was forced to flip backwards, narrowly dodging the meteors hailing from the skies. She had been distracted- _too _distracted- that she hadn't noticed the approaching manikins, their metal boots clanking as they stormed her from around the corner even as her eyes searched for the hiding mage.

_They're too organized_, she scowled as her fingers clenched tightly around the handle of her weapon before converting it back into its gun function. When she first encountered the crystalline puppets, she thought they were a nuisance; now, she was starting to realize that they posed a greater threat than their brittle appearance initially let on. _Is this coincidence or…?_ She blinked back her focus, pushing those thoughts aside.

_Does Squall know?_

She snapped her fingers and felt her body become encompassed by the familiar surge of electricity as she activated her enhancement, rushing at the incoming horde. Gunfire filled the air as she open-fired on the vanguard lead by a hulking False Stalwart, whose cleaving blade she used as a catapult as she launched herself over the thundering figures before running up the stony wall, trying to reach higher ground so she could pinpoint her comrades' positions so they could make their retreat.

The manikins ran into each other, buying her time to quickly dispatch the Phantasmal Girl, her enhancement allowing her to zip past it just as the magick-wielding manikin realized she was there.

"Everyone!" She shouted as loud as her lungs could support, her voice feeling small against her ears as it was drowned out by the battle cries and explosions that littered the air. They needed to regroup, but she didn't have time to find them in the vast expanse of the wastelands.

The sky flashed again and she saw the white hot light from Laguna's trademark cannon descend. She cursed under her breath before taking off into another sprint, stepping over the head of a pursuing Capricious Thief as it emerged from the pursuing party below, and kicked off into another flip with a snap of her fingers, clearing a lot of distance between herself and the crystalline horde chasing after her before she descended.

She could already hear Laguna's battle cries- taunts the man with the machine gun spoke to keep his enemies disoriented and keep himself focused in the ongoing battle- and immediately pushed herself off the ground into another leap.

"Laguna!" She shouted, slamming an unsuspecting manikin into the ground when she landed on it.

The raven-haired man turned to her direction, a wide smile breaking across his face as his eyes shimmered with unsuppressed relief. "Lightning! Glad you're here!"

The pink-haired Farron immediately shot up, running past the man as she held down on the trigger of her weapon, the staccato fire drilling into the Fleeting Flash before she leapt over the fallen form of the pink manikin, swiftly flipping into the air before spinning and firing shot after shot at the Transient Lions on either side, taking them out of the battlefield before they could react before slamming her legs against the chest of a Transient Gunner before it could take aim as she came out of her mid-air blitz. She open-fired at the manikin from point blank, taking it out of commission before kicking off it with a backwards flip before her crystalline foe even hit the ground as she landed in a crouch in front of a stunned Loire, who let out a low whistle at the display of skill from his pink-haired ally.

"Glad I'm on your side." The man joked as Lightning stood up, her shoulders still tense, and her blue eyes darting around in search of her unseen foes.

"Time to go." She commanded gruffly, ignoring his comment.

Laguna needed no further prompting; he himself a firm follower of the 'fight only when needed' battle philosophy, though he took it to the pacifistic extreme as he preferred talking over fighting. Sadly, the munchkins themselves didn't feel inclined to negotiations- intent on mindlessly hounding them down for reasons he didn't know.

"Yes, let's-" He trailed off when Lightning leaped upwards in a shimmer of electricity that made her body glow "-let's just leave the poor old man behind." He muttered to himself dejectedly. Laguna shook his head before hefting his machine gun on his shoulder and trailing after her.

He could only hope that the pink-haired soldier had already cleared the way.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing? !" The pink-haired woman shouted as she narrowly dodged Squall's slash, only to bring up her own weapon to block the follow-up. Anger started to well inside her at the ingrate and she pushed back before barking at the man. "Stand down, Leonhart!"<p>

Squall's gaze remained hard as he settled back into his stance. "Cut the act." He growled.

Lightning cocked her head to the side questioningly, to which Squall responded by charging again at the pinkette. Her horse, seeing its master in danger, attempted to intervene by dashing in front of its master's attacker, standing on its rear hooves as it neighed warningly.

The brunet didn't pause in his assault, ducking under the stallion's flailing front legs with a spin whilst gathering his magick, cleanly cutting off its rear haunches with one swift swipe before palming its exposed stomach and letting loose his magick, blasting the white beast away as he came out of his dodge, and continued forward, clashing blades once more with the pink-haired Farron.

"Last chance, _Squall_." Lightning growled out his name, struggling to keep their stalemate.

Squall would have none of that as he quickly tilted his weapon, drawing his gunblade in a clockwise motion before cutting diagonally. Lightning reacted as fast as she could at the sudden change in momentum by bringing her blade upwards for another block, only to let out a pained cry when Squall pulled the trigger of his weapon, the added shock managing to break her weakened guard and, had she not pulled back, would've been cut in two.

She jumped back, trying to put some distance between herself and the traitorous warrior, and landed on one knee when the pain lanced. A gloved hand reflexively clasped over her wounded shoulder, pressing firmly on the gaping tear to stem off the blood flow. "You… What the _hell _are you doing attacking _your _own comrade? !" She shouted, unable to restrain her anger at the man's arrogance. Sweat dripped down from her temple, both from the earlier exertion of saving the ungrateful man and the pain said man had just inflicted upon her person. "I should have known; you're nothing but a selfish, cold-blooded murderer!"

Squall's lips were thin and unamused at the woman's posturing. "Cut the act." He repeated, a trickle of his anger bleeding through his voice, before shrugging nonchalantly, his gloved hands still clasped tightly around his weapon's handle. "Or not. I don't care." His blue-gray eyes gleamed dangerously as he focused on his prey with stilled breaths.

Calm. Collected. Like a hunter about to slaughter its prey.

"Either way, _I'm_ ending this now." He spoke determinedly, channeling all the rage he felt as he spat her name like a curse. "_Ultimecia._"

A tense silence befell upon them before the woman suddenly stood up to her full height, the pain her visage earlier reflected bleeding way to an eerily malicious serenity.

"Since _when_ did you know?" Her silky words was a blend of amusement and sarcasm as her eyes- those orbs shifting from Lightning's serious blues to an expression holding a controlled madness that only one woman he knew had- bored into the windows of his soul. She licked her pink lips in a way he could not fathom his pink-haired ally ever gesturing, and Squall noted that the white horse had vanished, and that there was no blood on the ground despite the blood seeping off from the woman's shoulder.

_Illusions. More smoke and mirrors._ Squall internally frowned as he came to his conclusions. Just _what I need. I could only hope that's the _real _witch. _

"Does it matter?" He asked rhetorically. He brought his other hand around his weapon's handle, lowering his weapon so that the blade was pointing behind him as his body tensed in preparation for his charge. Despite the anger he felt boiling inside him for the silver-haired Ultimecia, Squall instinctively knew, from all his training that allowing his rage to cloud his thoughts was a sure-fire way to fall- especially against a slippery snake such as the woman before him- and thus took calming breaths as he focused on taking out the witch before she could cast her spells, sharpening his killing intent into one, finishing strike.

The pink-haired woman merely threw her head back in a mad laugh at the brunet's posturing. "No, I suppose not." Squall's eyes remained trained on the woman hiding behind Lightning's façade as she raised her hand to point at him as she tilted her head to the side mockingly. "You need not be so serious. Your time isn't up yet, _SeeD_."

"No. But yours is." A hollow bang rang through the battlefield as the steel of his gunblade hummed with blue energy as he blurred forward with his first step, pressing the trigger of his weapon and using the recoil to jumpstart his assault, easily clearing the space between himself and his foe within milliseconds.

In a flash, he appeared behind the woman, whose arm was still raised as she barely registered what happened.

Squall panted from the fierce exertion, accelerating and decelerating from such a short distance in an even shorter amount of time making his muscles protest at his body, and he staggered forward before digging his blade on the ground to stabilize his stance as he stood up proudly.

"Was that it?"

_DAMN IT!_

His whole body froze at her voice. The disguised Sorceress turned around slowly, the body he expected to be bifurcated neatly intact, as if his attack didn't draw any damage. _Is _this _another illusion, too?_

The woman started at him in a slow gait, her mouth still twisted in a taunting sneer. "How easy it would be to _end _you right now." Squall tensed at her approach, running through battle plans and strategies he could employ against a woman who could _literally_ bend time at will as merely one of her specialties, if the earlier exchange was any indication.

Squall charged again when she was only a foot away, slashing at her stomach only for the woman to blur in place, his gunblade hitting nothing but air as the woman reappeared. "Such an impatient child."

"No more games, _Ultimecia_." Squall growled angrily as he jumped back to place more distance between them, his defiant blue eyes betraying the inner turmoil he felt at the turn of events. _This isn't good._

"Games, _SeeD_?" She spoke cryptically, red cape billowing in the wind. "Whatever do you mean?"

Squall raised his gunblade at her threateningly. "Show yourself." He commanded. "Stop hiding behind Lightning's skin!"

The woman stopped her advance as her eyes suddenly gleamed maliciously. "So you _do_ know the name of your allies." She spoke mockingly as if in disbelief. "I had thought you didn't even know your little _friend_, what with how _eager_ you were to cut me down." She gestured to her form with a dramatic wave, making Squall scowl.

"What are you talking about, witch?" His eyes narrowed, tracing every movement of the shorter woman in front of him. "I _know_ my comrades."

"Comrades now, are they?" The woman spoke mockingly and continued, feeling gleeful as she felt the man's increasing ire radiating off his leather-clad frame. "I suppose that's why you chose to travel alone, because they're _just_ comrades." She closed her eyes in thought and Squall resisted the urge to attack; his memories of this wench made him wary of her possible treacheries. She opened her eyes, no longer wielding Lightning's blue orbs and instead reverting back to her own piercing yellow. "You, after all, _don't_ care what happens to your little comrades."

Squall questioned her icily. "What have you done?"

She delighted in seeing his gloved hands grip his weapon's hilt shakily and at the brief flicker anger that he hadn't managed to keep from his eyes. She continued, ignoring his question as she approached him again, her smirk deepening at the daggers she spoke with. "Of course you _know_ them well! _You_ attacked, didn't you?"

Something within Squall snapped at her words and he roared.

"Because I knew it was you!" He made another futile swipe that passed through her image unhindered and he growling menacingly at the pink-haired image. "What did you do? !"

"Nothing." She stopped right in front of him, smirking in a way that seemed alien to the face she was wearing as her yellow irises stared straight into his glaring blues unfazed. "I did nothing to _this_ woman. It was _you _that attacked her, after all." She cooed contemptuously.

"Because I knew it was you." He repeated, though even he could tell how hollow his words were to his own ears. And it appeared that the witch, too, could see through his empty words.

"Did you really, now?" She raised a hand to palm his cheek, and Squall suppressed the shiver that threatened to trail down his spine at the woman's caress. "How well do you know her? Them? Your _comrades_?" The softness in her eyes suddenly disappeared as she toyed with her prey. "_Enough_ to suspect them superficially?" her eyes briefly flickered to the _'wound' _on her shoulder which continued to _'bleed' _before continuing coyly. "_Enough _to quench your blade's bloodlust at the slightest change of their _perceived _character?After all," she paused, gazing piercingly into his stormy eyes. "Who's to say this woman _wouldn't_ be worried about her allies?" Her eyes gleamed triumphantly once again. "She did save you, did she not?"

"ENOUGH!" he attempted to swipe her hand away, only for his arm to pass through hers. "Show yourself now!"

The woman scoffed as she withdrew with a shake of her head. "Petulant child." She clicked her tongue at him with mocking pity. "Your time will come, soon enough." The image of Lightning Farron started to dissolve in a mist of magick, in its place stood the familiar tattooed form of the silver-haired Sorceress, Ultimecia.

Squall's hand shot forward, firing a blizzard bullet with a roar only for the shard of ice to fly past the woman's smirking image. He growled angrily at the silver-haired witch. "What do you want?"

Ultimecia merely smiled back at him cryptically, her cold irises gauging his being with the eyes of a cat playing with its cornered mouse. "I only wanted to _see_ you, SeeD." Squall leaned backwards when she slowly raised her furred claws towards his face. "I want to _remember_ this very face." She spoke, her voice ominous and cold as her teeth glinted with sadistic intent. "So I can compare _this_ with the one you shall be showing me soon after you wallow in-" The witch's lips curled upwards in a sneer. "-_Deep despair._"

A whistling sound was Squall's only cue to dodge out of the way as the ground beneath him exploded, magick swirling angrily as the blue orb threatened to pull him in with its destructive force. Squall immediately dug his blade on the ground and held firmly as the orb expanded before disappearing, throwing up a cloud of dust and rock. As the clearing cleared, Squall slowly rose to his feet and dusted his jacket before narrowing his eyes in the direction the attack came from, Ultimecia's illusion having vanished in the ensuing chaos.

"You'll regret leaving me alive. _That's_ a promise." He vowed under his breath, unsummoning his weapon and limping away to a safe location where he could tend to his wounds before continuing his journey, dismissing the witch's words as her mere psychological warfare.

He knew his comrades. Trusted them, even, to fulfill their mission and win this war.

Right?

Wasn't that the point of this battle? Weren't they all working together to fulfill a common purpose?

"_The name is Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class."_

"…_Squall." He nodded once before walking away._

_Zack shook his head, sheathing his weapon before running after the brunet. "Hey, wait up!"_

_He looked over his shoulder, features schooled despite the annoyance he felt inside at the cheerful man. "We're allies, right? We gotta stick together!"_

_Squall stopped, allowing the man to catch up as he strode adjacently. "…" _

Allies? We're just fighting on the same side- that doesn't _make_ us allies.

_A short pause; the SOLDIER blinked wonderingly, feeling his companion's suddenly souring mood. "What?" he tilted his head questioningly at the brunet. "Don't you think we're allies?" There was an innocence in the man's tone that deepened his frown._

"_Allies fight for a common goal." He spoke cautiously, gauging the man's reaction._

_Zack grinned widely, making Squall wonder how the man could be so happy when they could _barely _remember anything and subsequently were forced to fight a battle that technically wasn't even theirs. "We're fighting to return to our worlds, right?"_

_Squall nodded once, eyeing him quizzically, and Zack's grinned widened even further as he pumped his fist upwards. "Great! Then we're allies!" he cheered as if that settled everything._

"…_Whatever."_

Squall shook his head, focusing on his task. The witch's mad ramblings were getting to him- _that_ wouldn't do.

He needed to remain focused.

_This_ is what he was trained for.

Far beyond his line of sight, Ultimecia opened her eyes, smiling owlishly as she heard the _pathetic_ man's promise. "Only if you live long enough." She turned around, slowly floating into the air with each step. "Travel onwards, dear lion. Let your determination _lead_ your way past these paltry puppets." She threw her head back, looking over her shoulder at the retreating form of the leather-clad SeeD, eyes gleaming. "And _when_ you do, I shall enjoy repaying _everything_ I owe you a thousand fold. Our fated battle awaits and you _shall_ perish."

Magick swirled at the ends of her clawed fingertips as a dark portal tore through the skies- a portal which the witch of time vanished into, leaving her words in the oppressive wind.

"_That_ is my promise."

* * *

><p>Eyes hidden behind what appeared to be a helmet-like forehead opened, its snout taking another deep breath from the mist, surveying the realm at which it lived in with distaste before stretching its back, its massive wings extending to their limit in a stretch. The fallen wyrm let loose a rumbling growl as it surveyed the realm at war. Or, as the silver wyrm mused to itself, Shinryu's playpen, where the young dragon king felt the <em>need <em>to play god with a misfit band of hume and puppets.

It sneered at the thought of the scheming _hatchling_, taking advantage of a mere hume's request in order to bolster his strength. Woe to Shinryu for being born without the famed raw power of their race, that even _he_, fallen from grace as he was- a far cry from what it once, having the strength to battle the _true_ Gods when _They_ were at Their prime- could simply swing its tail and the hatchling would fall.

The silver wyrm attempted to rise to its full glory, only for a trail of electricity to erupt upon the chains that held it down around its rear ankles. The wyrm growled at the annoyance; the shock itself barely felt like a tickle, yet it served as a reminder of his imprisonment in this in-between realm.

It raised its head, crowned and adorned with metal-like scales, searching for its fellow inmates that too remained contained in this realm as punishment for their revolt. Like previous attempts, it failed at spotting even the silhouette of the massive king of beasts from the thick mists permeating throughout this realm.

No matter.

A low thud could be heard as it pawed at the ground idly, trying to vent off the welling anxiety it felt. The time was near, its instincts told it. Shinryu was not the most patient of hatchlings; a small dragon eager to flee from its nest, for which it had been trapped as a consequence of their struggle against the Gods.

Nevertheless, Shinryu had slowly been amassing power with these past _Cycles_, siphoned off from the experiences of the mortals summoned into his realm that have fallen, and transduced into his own. It was a clever idea, though- the wyrm barred its teeth in mirth- he could tell Shinryu was getting impatient.

It was slow process, after all, and twelve cycles down, Shinryu still hadn't garnered enough strength to shatter the wall erected by the Gods.

Thus he would wait for the young dragon god to snap in its haste for freedom; taunt the hatchling whenever it would visit this realm in-between, and bide its time. Shinryu would break, soon.

The thuds stopped as the massive wyrm settled back down, resting its head on its front haunches as it gazed remained transfixed on the glowing silhouette of the moon in anticipation, peaking just out of the tear in the rift.

Very soon.

* * *

><p>Vaan was the first person to relax after they entered the Gateway and Lightning gave them the 'all clear' nod, plopping down onto the ground with the grace of a rider mounted on a hard-headed chocobo, and let loose a long sigh of relief.<p>

"Glad that's over."

Lightning frowned at the boy's comment, feeling the need to correct him. "It's not. We need to keep moving." She motioned to the path in front of them with a nod.

"We've been running for the better part of the day _and_ you want us to run _again_?" Vaan deadpanned at her.

"You're a thief, aren't you?" she shot back, unable to keep the snide from her voice. "You should be _used _to running."

Vaan's brows met and he was about to run off his mouth in reply when their allies intervened.

"Guys, calm down." Laguna walked between them with his arms raised in a placating manner before giving them a confident smile. "Look, I know we're all tired from the last battle, but that doesn't mean we can't get along, right?"

Lightning scoffed at the man before turning away, ready to make the trip by herself when a gloved hand grasped her elbow firmly, making her turn around and level a glare at the red-eyed Tifa, who returned her gaze firmly. The black-haired woman spoke gently, trying to convince the pinkette. "We should stick together, Light."

A brief silence fell between the gathered four as Vaan and Laguna looked on at the exchange intently, before Lightning shrug the other woman's grip off with a tug. "Fine."

Hollow footfalls rang through the cave as the pink-haired woman leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Tifa frowned but decided to let the matter drop; what was important was that they were all still together.

Vaan raised his head, staring at the brooding woman, taking in her appearance. "You're tired too, Lightning." He pointed out and Tifa slapped her forehead at the sky pirate's tact.

"Your point?" Lightning cracked one glacial blue eye open, burning holes into the mouthy brat.

Never one to cower at the face of danger, the sandy-haired pirate scratched the back of his head. "Just a thought; it wouldn't do to push yourself over the edge now, right? We still need to find our crystals."

"Vaan, I don't think-" Tifa made to stop the youth before he could agitate their companion further, only to stop when she noticed Laguna raising a finger against his lips, gesturing for her to let the scene play out.

"I can go on longer than this." Lightning spoke stubbornly, now focusing her full attention on the seated youth.

"By yourself?" Vaan smirked wryly. "Good luck getting yourself killed."

"Are you saying I can't fend for myself?"

Vaan shook his head. "I'm saying fighting alone is stupid." Lightning opened her mouth to protest but the sky pirate cut her off as he continued. "Look, I don't know what it's like in your world but, where I come from; it's suicidal to fly by yourself."

Even the 'great' Balthier had a trusted companion in the tall Viera, Fran, during his exploits. The skies were filled with danger, and the ground even more cumbersome to traverse on with the rapidly changing climates and aggressive marks, only the strongest of which travelled alone. Then there were ruthless bounty hunters out for the heads, always traveling in packs as they hounded on their prey. Dodging the local authorities was but a trifle matter compared with actual surviving in the wilderness.

A stubborn 'hmph' was Lightning's reply, her arms remaining crossed underneath the swell of her breasts as the mouthy youth continued to ramble on. "I mean, I enjoy adventuring but that's beside the point; here, you've got willing friends to travel with you. We all need to stick together to survive, right?"

"Shut your trap." The soldier scoffed, turning away from the pirate and putting more distance between them. _I _know _that._

She really did. But she allowed Squall to venture off by himself; did that mean she felt he was more competent? No, Squall himself stubbornly chose to journey on his own- the question was why?

_His weapon vanished; fighting with the pinkette wasn't worth the effort. His shoulder slacked and Lightning loosened her grip, allowing him to free his arm. He spoke her name dangerously. "Ultimecia."_

Her companions looked on worriedly when the pinkette suddenly stopped in her stride, her body becoming rigid as her shoulders visibly tensed. Tifa couldn't stop her concern from questioning. "Lightning?"

_Of course!_ Lightning inwardly cursed herself at her blunder. _Squall is off hunting down that witch._

Memories of her preliminary encounter with the Sorceress who stood back as the mad clown engaged her and the Warrior of Light upon Cosmos' request that she familiarize herself with their gathered allies came rushing back. As much as she hated to admit it, she had felt a sliver of respect for the brunet gunblade-wielder; he was capable as both a fighter and a tactician in battle. She often teased that he was _just_ a schoolboy- he _did_ spend a lot of time studying about war, right? How vindicated was he, when he proved that he had as much- or possibly even _more_- field experience than her, if the almost mechanical manner at which he employed standard battle tactics- dividing and conquering, retreating to advantageous terrain, turning his foe's rabid attacks against them whilst he conserved his strength- with ease.

She had forgotten that he was still just a man, prone to impulsive desires of destruction. Worse still, was she had observed a single-mindedness in the brunet; his capability to focus on his target and relentlessly pursue it. The respect she felt for him had clouded her judgment, and a sinking feeling descended on her when she realized that her carelessness could have cost their battle strength a considerably useful ally.

_You better stay alive, Leonhart._ She glared at the rocky ceiling, as if hoping the ground would convey her thinly-veiled threat at the lone traveller. Would Shiva be strong enough to keep him safe? She could only hope that either Squall would run into a fellow warrior of order to travel alongside, or strategically retreat back to the Sanctuary when it was clear that the manikins- the unrelenting horde of puppets that had pursued them all-throughout their voyage to Cosmos' gathering- was just but a small fraction of the crystalline army's _true_ numbers.

"Lightning?" Tifa repeated again, louder this time, and Lightning's head snapped towards her.

"What?" Laguna, Vaan, and Tifa noted the undercurrent of worry in Lightning's voice. Vaan suddenly stood up with a stretch, sharing a look with Laguna and Tifa before nodding his head affirmatively and patting his clothes as he strode forwards, his steps resounding with confidence and none of the tiredness he had earlier felt.

"Let's go." The sky pirate prompted, throwing a supportive grin at his companions.

Confused blue eyes blinked twice, Lightning wondering what caused the sudden change in her companion's demeanor before squashing down the thought; it was important to keep moving. Hopefully they'd find their crystals soon or at least encounter another of their comrades before they offed themselves. She stalked forward slightly more briskly than usual.

Vaan fished a potion out of his pocket, shaking the bottle once to gauge how much he had left. He looked over his companions, knowing that they _all_ were tired- even Lightning who the gathered warriors knew would defiantly deny if asked-, but the agitated Farron clearly _wouldn't_ stay still. He was being truthful about travelling alone being a recipe for disaster in lands such as these, and while knowing traversing while worn-out was also a big 'No, no' in the sky pirate's guidebook, he chose to go with the lesser of two evils; travelling wearily _as_ a party.

And besides, he had _just_ enough potion left for all four of them, if push came to shove.

* * *

><p>Squall looked up from his seated position underneath a tree, his hand holding a shard of ice pressed against his leg, which he maintained control of from years of practice.<p>

A gloating voice flittered in. _**My presence contributes, too.**_

Shiva helped, also. Squall ignored the woman of ice as he continued to bring down the swelling of his minor injury; having been caught by surprise by the witch's parting assault. His mind swirled with conflict, vehemently denying the witch's words yet part of him felt like they held some truth.

Did he really not know his fellow warriors? He thought it was alright to only believe in oneself- but did that mean he couldn't _understand_ the people he raised his arms with? Was he really that willing to draw his blade against them with killing intent _simply_ out of suspicion? Was he really that uncaring?

"_You're just a great leader, aren't you?" The brunette scoffed, her footfalls on the forest pathway weighed with anger as she stopped in front of him, pressing her hands on her thighs as she looked up at him with faux pity. "Do you actually have fun acting so callous towards your comrades?"_

_**-Flash-**  
><em>

"_Don't turn your back on me!" the man raised his voice, making the brunet stop in his tracks. "I thought you were different, Squall." He slowly stood up, head still bowed despite the anger welling up inside him. "I believed that you were better than this- that you wouldn't stoop to cold-blooded murder. Joke's on me, eh?" His body trembled as he tried to contain his rage. "Well, Squall, I'm here in front of you now!" he raised his blade, pointing it at the brunet challengingly._

**__-Flash-__**

_Her hands were on her hips as she glared at him icily. "Don't you ever worry about or even think about the well-being of your comrades! ?"_

**_-Flash-_**

"_So you're SeeD, huh?" the short girl studied him, her eyes tracing his face down to his posture then towards the blade held readily in his hands before cracking her own knuckles, feeling this would be the fight of her life. No matter, she just had to stall long enough for the wounded Artemis to flee. "You look as heartless as Artie says."_

The clanking noise amidst the sound of the running river brought Squall back out of his trance before Shiva could even alert him. Raising himself from his seat and held the shard of ice firmly, already a spell on his lips for his ambusher, as his gunblade appeared in his other hand.

The metallic footfalls suddenly vanished and Squall felt the sudden rush of wind and rustling leaves before dodging backwards as a dark figure descended upon him. The armored man immediately noticed the sizzling bomb where he landed and used his spear to golf it back at the brunet.

Squall didn't flinch as the blizzard spell-turned flurry exploded halfway between them, kicking up a cloud of dust, and immediately parried the thrust aimed at his head with his gunblade. The figure immediately planted its leg on the ground to regain its balance before twirling its spear and slamming it downwards, a blow Squall was all-too prepared to block before he kicked the man on the chest and sending him backwards.

_**Stop Squall! He's an ally! **_Shiva shouted, halting him from pursuing his target.

"What are you doing, Highwind?" he growled angrily, holding his weapon at the ready.

Kain stood up to his full height and Squall noted the surprise in the dragoon's features. "My apologies." The man spoke sincerely. "I felt a _presence_ and thought that a manikin was nearby."

Squall's lips thinned at the taller man's excuse. It was plausible, but for some reason his instincts kept telling him to keep his guard up.

Lowering his weapon, Kain approached the brunet with cautious steps, noting that Squall still had his weapon trained yet ignoring the threat in the brunet's posturing. "Are you travelling alone?"

"…"

Taking that as an affirmative, Kain continued with a small chuckle. "I, too, am travelling by myself. Perhaps we may join forces? The manikin's number is increasing and it is unwise to continue without companion."

"…" Squall assessed his options, eyeing the tall dragoon suspiciously, debating whether or not to concede to the man's counsel. _He seems fine for someone fighting alone._

_**Join forces with him, Squall.**_ Shiva's voice returned with concern. _**He is right; you are still injured and the manikins are unrelenting. You should allow him to follow you, Squall.**_ There was a pause, and Squall could feel Shiva observing the silent man, who was patiently awaiting a reply. _**He feels trustworthy; I can only feel concern radiating off him.**_

_I don't like this._ Squall internally scoffed, though he knew Shiva was right. Kain's stance was one that seemed to hold nothing hidden; relaxed, even with a blade literally pointed at his throat. Still, there was something in the man's excuse that rang alarm bells in his subconscious.

_**You don't have a choice.**_

Kain continued to wait, wondering what the brunet was thinking, as behind his helmet, his eyes could only see glacial indifference reflected in Squall's own. He wondered if maybe he made a mistake- Squall tended to be harder to approach than _even_ Lightning- but kept his features schooled and his breathing even, patiently awaiting for the man's response.

The massive gunblade suddenly vanished from his hand and Squall turned around and walked off. "Whatever."

With an amused smile, the tall dragoon followed the man's trail.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Chapter 9, finished! Hope this was worth the wait. I'll proofread later, though I wouldn't mind if anyone leaves a review pointing out any errors.

I wonder how many people predicted _this_ development- 'Lightning' actually being Ultimecia. I had tried dropping hints, though nobody in the previous chapter seemed to pick it up (either that, or people just didn't care to write) such as 'Lightning' telling Squall to get on her horse _even though_ Lightning said, in ch6, that "he(Odin) only likes me", and in ch8, Ultimecia's "intent on causing more havoc on the _foolish man",_ as well as Lightning acting out of character, as both Lightning and Squall still have had little development in _that_ direction.

I've stated before, the two _still_ see each other as comrades at this point :'D

I guess the next twist will be rather predictable now that Kain has appeared. I was tempted to add another Prishe scene, though I decided to withhold from that for now, as Prishe and Aerith will be making their grand reunion with Squall in the next chapter.

And yes Indurrago, I got the hint o_- see, LTRA update! But meh, with how IRL's being a pain in my skinny derriere, what with how a recent exam flopped badly because of the stinking computer, I've found it easier to write drabbles for SCE than this. Speaking of which, thanks to those that have verbalized their support; please _do_ keep them coming! It _finally_ reached its 60-review mark, even if a chapter late.

For those interested, I've started several discussions in Dissidia's ffnet forum. Feel free to post there!

Once again, I hope this was worth the wait and please review!


	10. Chapter 10: Bound Across Time

**A/N:** Apologies for the wait. I hadn't really thought to update this until after 2 November but, I really couldn't just ignore the overwhelming support I received from the previous chapter. Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'd also like to make shout out to Alexlayer who, aside from providing a tasty Squall/Prishe fanart (as always, the link is in my profile), also managed to piece together a few of the clues I've dropped so far as to what I have planned.

Now, I apologise for the opening scene for this chapter- a blatant copy-paste, without alterations, of a scene from 012 (copyright by Square Enix, though we all knew that right?)- but it has come to my attention that some of my readers haven't played the game, and might thus feel lost at to what is exactly happening. To try and amend this problem, I promptly turned on my psp and browsed for what would explain Kain's motives clearly as to why he's doing what we (that is, Dissidia-players) _know_ he'll do. Though FF4 players predicted he'd do it, regardless. It's in his character =P

And unlike certain other people, I can't help but feel his plan is stupid. Noble, probably, but ultimately arrogant and stupid. The fact that everyone else went along with it made me palm my head. Hard. Then again, Kain isn't known for his great leadership skills I guess… though having said that, the same could be said about Lightning's 012 party except perhaps Laguna… o_0

So without further ado, here's chapter 10 of Leave, Then Return Again: Bound Across Time!

* * *

><p><em>Could the words of the Warlock, Golbez, be true? Could this war really be a cycle without end?<em>

_Such thoughts the Dragoon known as Kain Highwind pondered as he paced the abandoned laboratory, the scent of dust and age making the man wonder how long had this structure stood on this unknown land. He had been separated from Cecil when they were ambushed by an endless stream of their doppelgangers- both warriors choosing instead to flee from the futile battle and regain their strength separately, halving the military might of their pursuers between them in their escape._

_It was easier to flee when you only had twenty crystalline menaces after you than double._

_So the Dragoon parted from his trusted friend with a promise that they'd meet up back at the Sanctuary- it was time to retreat and regroup and hope that the rest of their comrades had the sense to do the same- when he ducked into an old building to escape his pursuers._

_Golbez's words rang through his head like a sonorous bell against the sound of silence, the larger man's words bringing to light what he feared when his memories begun to return to him during his traverses, flashes of d__é__j__à__ vu momentarily stunning him as he passed landmarks or conversed with his comrades._

_Metal clanking brought the Dragoon out of his musings in time to see his fellow Warrior of Cosmos in all his knightly glory emerge from the corner, the man's eyes clouding with thought much like his own._

"_Kain!" The Warrior of Light exclaimed in surprise when he recognized the Dragoon._

"_My friend. You're unscathed." He commented with a hint of relief as he approached the armored man, though part of him wondered how long such relief would last. When would the next ambush commence? How much longer could they survive in this world of strife?_

"_Yes…" The knight replied, though his voice suddenly darkened, most likely coming to the same conclusion as the Dragoon. "But breaks in the fighting are few and far between." The silver knight looked away, gazing intensely in thought. "I can only hope the others have fared as well."_

_Kain immediately knew what his fellow warrior was alluding to; the abominations that continued to mercilessly hunt them down neither with relent nor respite._

"_Manikins…hmm."_

"_What of them?" The Warrior of Light looked at the Dragoon sharply, eyes boring into his companion as he could clearly see the cogs turning in the man thoughts._

"_I wonder." Kain returned the man's gaze seriously. "How do you place our odds?"_

"_Hm?" The Warrior of Light was thrown aback from the question._

_Kain continued, clarifying his point to the knight. "Against numbers like these, do you think we can actually stand to win?"_

"_I cannot speak for the outcome, but we can fight as long as we have strength."_

_Kain couldn't help the humorless smirk from forming on his lips at the Warrior of Light's tone, how convinced the knight was of himself. It was not one he expected, though he really should have, considering the knight's persona. "That's one answer."_

_The Warrior of Light's eyes trailed the Dragoon's steps as the spear-wielder approached to walk past him. _

"_You are correct." Kain affirmed, also believing his statement. In another time, perhaps in another world, such words would have weighted meaning in battle. But not in this world. "We can fight for as long as we have strength, and almost certainly lose."_

_The Dragoon's companion scoffed, conceding to Kain's point._

_A tense silence descended upon the two armored warriors, before Kain spoke again, eyes hard and serious, having already decided on a course of action. He trusted Golbez, he trusted his memories, and above all else, Kain Highwind trusted his comrades._

"_But IF! IF there were a way to make winning possible, by accepting that loss as inevitable…"_

_The Warrior of Light turned, his eyes betraying his surprise at the conviction in the Dragoon's spoken thoughts. _

"…_Would you be able to commit yourself to such a purpose?"_

_Did Kain have a plan? "What do you mean?"_

"_We are trapped. This war is a cycle with no proper end." Kain admitted, a trace of anger leaking through his voice at the apparent hopelessness of their situation. "We fight and fall, we are revived, and the process repeats."_

_The Warrior of Light blinked in surprise at Kain's words._

"_I realize it's not easy to believe." A small trace of humor bled through Kain's voice as he turned towards his companion, who struggled to process the Dragoon's words. "But consider, if what I've said to you is true, then so is this: We'll have another chance."_

_The knight stood still. He wanted to argue the man's postulations, but the seriousness in Kain's voice made him consider his words and opt to hear the Dragoon out, and thusly his lips remained a firm line across his face._

"_As long as some of our strength remains, we will be brought back and provided with a chance to fight again."_

* * *

><p>Squall limped across the forest floor, his footfalls filled with tension as he couldn't shake the feeling of paranoia making his hairs stand on end. He growled inwardly, blaming the witch's illusions and manipulations.<p>

"You are injured." Kain commented from behind him though there was not a smidgen of worry in the Dragoon's voice- he was stating a fact.

_I didn't notice._ Squall thought back sarcastically but offered no spoken reply, his nerves on edge. Despite Shiva's words, a part of him felt irked at the Dragoon's timely arrival, though half of him also wondered if the stress he accumulated from all the constant battles was starting to get to him.

Not to mention Shiva's counsel regarding the war's true situation. Squall greatly disliked the foreshadowing his Guardian Force spoke with, the unsolved mysteries she alluded to that were slowly being proven.

"Perhaps it is wise to rest?" Kain's voice came again, prompting the brunet out of his thoughts.

Squall stopped, throwing an annoyed glance over his shoulder at the Dragoon. "You rest. I'll continue." He deadpanned, masking the apprehension when his eyes unconsciously trailed at the malicious glint Kain's metal spear reflected with, held firmly in the Dragoon's calloused hands. Ignoring the itch in his fingers to draw his weapon, the SeeD inwardly cursed the time Sorceress' name before continuing, reminding the taller man. "_You were_ the one who wanted to join forces."

"I was." There was a sliver of humor in Kain's words as the Dragoon ignored the tension hovering between them. Squall's nerves eased slightly, though he attributed it to getting used to the atmosphere instead of the mirth in Kain's tone. "But I hadn't realized you were injured. We needn't be so hasty to traverse these lands."

Blue-gray eyes narrowed authoritatively. "Then stay here. I'm leaving."

This time, Kain actually did laugh, even though it wasn't nothing more than a wry chuckle at Squall's obvious attempt at getting rid of him.

_That_ wouldn't do.

"Wouldn't it be more wise that I travel alongside you, now that you are in that state?" The Dragoon pointed out to his fellow Warrior of Cosmos.

"…" Offering no reply, for he already did know that he didn't have a choice. Shiva had already pointed out his precarious situation, even if he didn't like it. "I can watch my own back." He commented stubbornly.

"That I have no doubt of." Kain nodded his head before walking up to the brunet before folding his arms, all trace if mirth fleeing the taller man with each step. "But _watching_ is only _seeing_. You alone cannot stop a thousand blades from tearing through your soul." He met Squall's hard glare, staring at the brunet seriously as he made his point. "_That_ is what allies are for."

The Dragoon's words made the SeeD pause as he recalled the words a raven-haired man spoke of, another time ago.

With a heavy, reluctant sigh, Squall tilted his head to the side, motioning for the man to walk ahead. "You're leading then." _Meat shield._

_**That's not very nice.**_ Shiva's voice chided his unspoken words.

Squall ignored her voice as he observed the Dragoon while waiting for his reply.

From underneath his helmet, Kain's eyes sobered at Squall's stubborn nature, belatedly realizing that dealing with the black lion would be trickier than he anticipated. It was of no consequence of course, he was determined to see his mission through until the end. His comrades didn't deserve this fate, after all; to fight until the last of their strength bled away under the unrelenting onslaught of the crystalline abominations.

No. They _needed_ to survive _this_ cycle and regain their strength in preparation for the next. From his memories, this was the first time Cosmos ever attempted such a feat as bestowing her warriors with fragments of her power. It was just poetic irony that the manikins surfaced in _this _incarnation of the war- a third party whose battle strength was immeasurable and appearance, unpredictable.

So- with a curt nod to the brunet at his side as he continued walking forward, acquiescing to the man's command- Kain Highwind strengthened his resolve that he would shoulder the burden of this cycle and sacrifice himself all for the sake of his comrades and hope that in the next battle, they would have more time to search for their crystals and finally end the war; that they may return to their own worlds and no longer have to continue eternally fighting for survival in this battlefield.

Suspicion clouded Squall's eyes as he watched the Dragoon blaze the trail ahead with nary a word. A part of him felt relieved that the Dragoon walked ahead- his paranoia dying down somewhat- while another part of him felt angry at himself for lashing out unprovoked, but really, couldn't Kain just mind his own business?

_**You and I both know that isn't what bothers you, contractor.**_ Shiva cut in his thoughts again as he walked after the Dragoon. _**You feel guilty, do you not? For doubting that man, your comrade, when only concern motivate his actions.**_

…_I'll apologise._ Squall admitted to the woman of ice within the sanctity of his thoughts. After_ this battle is over._

Shiva offered no reply for a moment. Unseen by her contractor, the ice elemental chewed on her bottom lip, a habit she gleamed from the humes she had observed through her contractor's eyes that they performed in acts of nervousness, as she mulled over her contractor's reply. _**I have…uncovered more recollections.**_

The pause in his companion's footfalls made the Dragoon turn and regard the brunet questioningly. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Squall replied automatically before folding his arms, staring pointedly at the man. "Continue."

Kain shrugged off Squall's odd behavior before doing as told, aimlessly wandering forward.

_**Squall?**_

_Later, Shiva._ Squall replied. _Later, once we've made camp._

He had too much on his plate at the moment that he couldn't properly think of the war's meaning. This never really wasn't taught in Garden, where they were trained to merely fulfill whatever they were hired to do, no matter how reluctant they were to accept the mission.

But he wasn't hired to fight for Cosmos, and the only reason he originally fought for before was the promise of being returned back to his home world. Of course, the knowledge of Ultimecia's apparent _survival_ made his skin crawl with barely restrained anger, her appearance before him only fueling his hate for the witch that had attempted to enslave his world, and placed his friends in harm's way.

The same time witch that claimed the life of Rinoa Heartilly.

So Squall Leonhart continued forward after the Dragoon, not in search of his crystal, but of a way to end the Sorceress who had mastered time _before_ she could harm _his_ comrades.

The witch's silky words rang through his mind.

"_How well do you know her? Them? Your comrades?" The softness in her eyes suddenly disappeared as she toyed with her prey. "Enough to suspect them superficially?" her eyes briefly flickered to the 'wound' on her shoulder which continued to 'bleed' before continuing coyly. "Enough to quench your blade's bloodlust at the slightest change of their perceived character?"_

"I'll show her." Squall growled determinedly under his breath. The pain in his leg had already dulled and his steps across the forest ground were normal and even as he followed after the tall Dragoon.

Privy to his thoughts, Shiva solemnly observed the turmoil and anguish raging through her host, wanting to offer words of comfort but knew that words wouldn't penetrate the wall the stubborn SeeD constructed around his heart. Instead, she could only watch on sadly as she struggled to keep him safe, fulfilling the wishes of the child she watched grow up into a man. She had grown attached to this _hume_ over the years of their bonding, and she'd sacrifice herself if it meant easing the pain Fate's cruel hand dealt the SeeD Commander.

"**He still hasn't gotten over her."**Shiva turned to the inhabitants around her before shaking her head in pity. **"Of course he hasn't… the continuous cycle of remembering and forgetting has given him no time to heal."**

"**I am tired of this cycle." **The shortest among the gathered whined.

Shiva leveled the killer with an irritated glare. **"**_**You**_** didn't stay in this world for as long as I have."**

A raspy voice drawled pointedly at Shiva, drawing the attention of the two. **"As I recall, it was **_**you**_** that volunteered."**

"**And I would gladly do it again."** The woman of ice's cape billowed as she stared challengingly up at the large Guardian Force's face. The poisonous Guardian turned away, unable to keep its gaze locked on the loyal woman and the sincerity in her voice.

"**That is enough of that."** The last of Squall's Guardian Forces chided. While understanding of Shiva's plight, the way the woman of ice went about professing and affirming her position as the one Squall trusted the most was getting old.

Especially with the more pressing matters they had to attend to.

Turning to face the ice elemental, she nodded at the woman before turning to the remaining three Guardian Forces. **"It is time."** Recalling a phrase from the young woman she was once junctioned with, she continued as an afterthought. **"…Go do your thing."**

* * *

><p>"Do you know what I miss?" Prishe asked her companion in a half-mumble, her pearly white teeth remaining clamped against the thin length of string of her fishing line as she attempted to fix her instrument.<p>

Aerith looked up from where she'd been studying the notes they found in the abandoned laboratory- a sight that had been increasingly more common lately, Prishe idly noted, for Aerith seemed to believe the faded scribbles held an important message- and blinked her eyes questioningly at the Elvaan. "What?"

The purple-haired girl gave the thin string a sharp tug, securing the knot in place. "I miss not having to think." A wide smirk split her face at the sound of her companion's giggles. "Seriously, this world blows."

"That's not such a bad thought." The flower girl commented after her laughter died down. Placing the tattered pages neatly beside her, Aerith raised her arms above her head in a stretch, loosening the tension on her lower back from spending most of her time hunched over as she studied the faded notes. "I wouldn't mind forgetting about this place."

Prishe's lips curled in a playful pout. "Aw, you mean you can't wait to forget about me?"

Green eyes snapped towards the Elvaan in slight panic. "Umm, that's not what I meant." Scratching the back of her neck absently, Aerith tried to formulate her thoughts. "I was talking about being trapped in this world."

The Elvaan's ears twitched curiously when she registered her companion's words. "You mean… You don't mind the war?"

"We haven't really had to fight anyone." Aerith smiled sheepishly. Sure, there were potential encounters against those crystalline figures but, they had mostly snuck their way around the group. Not for the first time did the flower girl wonder what exactly they were. "So I wouldn't really call this a struggle. It _is_ quite suspicious, though."

Prishe folded her arms with a huff. "Well, that's because my awesome aura scares all those weaklings away! So be grateful!"

A blank stare met the purple-haired girl. After a few more minutes of being subjected to Aerith's stare, Prishe finally relented. "Alright already; stop with that!" She scowled before her features softened in thought. "Lemme think."

In truth, she did also find it suspicious that the _only_ people they'd encountered since the beginning of their travel not too long ago were those rather…interesting, if albeit obviously fake, replicas. She had half the mind to walk up to them and give them a piece of _her_ mind, but thought twice about it with the way _those_ crystalline warriors wielded their weapons at the ready as they sped off in search of _something_.

Or _someone_.

Questions plagued the Elvaan at how much the world had changed since her imprisonment. Was _she_ alive? Why didn't _he_ return? What were Chaos' goons doing? What of Cosmos' group? Really, if not for Aerith, Prishe would've thought that the war was already over…

…and she'd be damned to be eternally bound to this world.

Prishe's arms subconsciously wrapped around her chest, a gesture that made the usually loud Prishe seem much smaller than she physically was and one Aerith had come to associate with the Elvaan recalling the painful circumstances that led to their meeting. Cautiously, she approached the shorter girl and slowly wrapped her in another warm embrace.

"It's over now." Aerith tried to soothe as she rubbed warming circles on her companion's suddenly cold frame.

The flower girl couldn't imagine what it must have felt like to be trapped in such a watery abyss, forever reviving only to drown in quick succession. What must have it felt like for Prishe to awake in darkness only for her first breath to kill her? How long had Prishe suffered through such an ordeal, the Elvaan wouldn't say for even _she _didn't know. It was testament to Prishe's strength- she admired- that the monk didn't succumb to the temptation of taking her death but instead continued to fight to survive. Even now, Prishe's will carried her forward despite the numerous tumbles that accompanied their journey.

It was because of this that Aerith found strength within herself to help the monk with in her quest to find an end to this cycle.

"I'll get my revenge…" Prishe mumbled against Aerith's chest, making the brunette smile.

While normally not one to advocate violence, she couldn't help but feel that _some_ semblance of retribution was due for the man that had hurt her friend. "You will, Prishe." She pulled back slightly so she shower the girl with a supportive smile. "Now, go fix your rod. I'll continue making sense of our clues."

Prishe pouted. "Those notes won't make any more sense, you know." She looked away stubbornly. "Most of the writing is too faded."

"Maybe…but it's the only lead we have, right?" There was hope in Aerith's voice and for a moment, Prishe felt her heart swell before she quickly caught herself. The last time she felt like this, she had trusted _that_ man and his self-confidence and his _words_ that he'd return.

And where was he now?

Her eyes suddenly scrunched up when she felt Aerith flick her nose. "Hey!"

"No more sad thoughts." Aerith chided playfully with a wag of her forefinger.

The monk extracted herself from the flower girl's comfort with a shake of her head as she focused back on the present. She'd been worrying Aerith too much lately and inwardly was grateful for the brunette's companionship; Aerith seemed to have an infinite amount of patience to help her through with her inner turmoil. But despite this, she didn't want to burden the flower girl more than necessary.

While it was fortunate that they didn't need to take up their arms recently, Prishe morbidly wondered how long would their luck last? How long until that lumbering brute would realize that she was out of her confinement? How long until she would find herself alone in this world again, for as much as she believed she could protect Aerith from all harm, it was a fact that the flower girl could die… and she, the mighty Prishe, _couldn't_.

Another playful flick pelted her nose, though this time her eyes watered when Aerith applied more force.

"Stop thinking." Hand on her hip, Aerith commanded the shorter girl seriously before pointing to the discarded fishing rod. "Go, unless you want to starve tonight."

Prishe stuck her tongue out at the young woman childishly before following her order with a mock salute.

"Yes Ma'am!"

* * *

><p>As Squall came out of the forest, he spotted Kain crouched behind a boulder, using it for cover as he glanced at the bottom of the precipice. Squall immediately drew his gunblade as he cautiously approached the Dragoon.<p>

"Manikins." Squall asked lowly, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Nevertheless, Kain nodded his head, his grip on his spear tight and ready. When Squall was crouched down beside him, he commented his findings. "They are patrolling the river."

Squall peeked over their cover, eyes narrowed as he focused on the manikin leading the group; his instincts screaming as he barely suppressed the growl that threatened to escape his throat when he recognized _that_ annoying figure.

It was another Transient Lion.

_**Look out!**_

Squall barely had time to react as he leaned back, just in time to see the blunt end of Kain's spear shatter the rock he had been hiding behind as the Dragoon missed his swing.

The SeeD quickly followed through with a backward roll, leaving yet another sizzling spell on the ground as he stood up, the explosion forcing Kain to jump backwards to put some distance between them, allowing Squall to quickly assess the sudden turn of events.

"That's twice now you've attacked, _Highwind_." Squall growled angrily, blade trained on the suddenly silent man. His eyes narrowed when Kain's legs flexed- he was preparing another attack. "What's your angle? !"

"… Forgive me, friend, but this is for the best." Kain suddenly leaped up into the air and Squall instinctively followed his trail only to suddenly shut his eyes in pain when the Dragoon cloaked himself against the sun.

Quickly focusing on his other senses, Squall felt the wind whistle and he dodged backwards, narrowly escaping Kain's attack as the man's spear left a crater on the ground. The black lion swipe horizontally in an attempt to get the man to flee, his burning retinas still needing time to recover.

Kain ducked under the warning slash, grasping his spear with both hands before swiping upwards at the opening in Squall's guard. "Fall!"

Reacting on instinct, Squall quickly stomped on the man's spear, forcing the weapon out of the unprepared Dragoon's hands. Vision already recovered, Squall slashed at the stunned Dragoon, stopping just before his blade cleaved the man's head off his shoulders.

"I want answers, _Highwind._" The brunet spoke darkly as he glared at the Dragoon. Kain was knelt on one knee, though Squall pressed his blade closer against his neck when he noticed the armored man's hand inch closer towards his weapon. "What are you plotting?"

"Forgive me but I cannot say." Kain's eyes lowered to the ground, unable to meet his ally's accusing gaze. "But know that what I do, I do for all of you."

A gust of wind suddenly impacted on his legs and Squall cursed when he was suddenly knocked off balance. Stumbling, Squall struggled to regain his footing when the pain from his earlier injury protesting against the pressure suddenly lanced up his spine and almost sending him to the ground.

The blunt end of Kain's spear suddenly jabbed his ribs in quick succession, the last one impacting on his diaphragm sending him to his knees. He craned his head upwards only to find the Dragoon standing tall before him with one arm raised high above his head to deliver the decisive blow. "Lance of the covenant!"

"Not a chance!" Squall suddenly raised his left arm to stop the fast stab, not flinching even as the Dragoon's spear impaled his limb before he directed the blow to the side, narrowly averting the lance from skewering his body. He ignored the blood that splattered from his reckless block and swiftly forced himself to his feet, pushing forward to viciously bash his head against the Dragoon's exposed chin, drawing blood and knocking the taller man backwards, pulling the spear out of his arm in the process.

Blood poured profusely now from his wounded arm as it hung limply on his side, drenching the fabric of his coat's sleeve. Never letting the stunned Dragoon out of his sight, Squall cautiously tried to ball his left hand into a fist only for another lance of pain to resist the movement. A curse left his lips when his eyes started to weigh more than they should, his head feeling _lighter_ than it should.

He was tired. Too tired, from all the constant battles. He hadn't even recovered from his encounter with the time witch when _this_ happened.

And the Dragoon knew that, from the way the tall man held himself.

"Your stubbornness is futile." Kain commented as he rubbed the blood off his lips with his knuckle. "Surrender. You've already lost this battle." Squall idly noted Kain was stalling with his words- most likely hoping he'd bleed himself dry on the spot for easy picking. "Do you expect to win?"

The man's taunting snapped helped Squall focused as he stabbed the ground with his gunblade. "You _can't_ tell me what to do." He growled menacingly, using his willpower to raise his wounded arm before grasping the torn fabric tightly and tearing it, exposing the gaping hole Kain's lance left behind.

Kain's gaze hardened when he felt Squall's magick radiate, his right hand suddenly glowing before the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. A sense of foreboding filled the Dragoon when, throughout the entire procedure, Squall's calculating glare never strayed from him, his posture remained trained despite the obvious pain and fatigue he felt.

_Should I retreat?_ Kain thought to himself. He hadn't anticipated this, not at all. Squall Leonhart was a more monstrous man than he had thought. He didn't want to injure his comrades too severely; Golbez's words made it clear that they shouldn't be too heavily injured for them to be reincarnated. He only meant to knock out his allies and cast a powerful sleeping spell to fake their deaths until the next cycle while he did all he could against the manikin's numbers. It was a wild gambit, he knew, but it was better than they all continued fighting aimlessly only to succumb to the sheer overwhelming battle strength the manikins contained with their numbers. _Fleeing is no longer an option. _He tightened his hold on his lance, preparing himself for an intense battle. _I chose this path!_

The Dragoon charged ahead with a roar, echoed by the black lion's own.

Their blades clashed as they danced around each other to the tempo of a vicious frenzy.

Kain weaved around the man, jabbing and stabbing as he tried to wear him down, only to be forced to jump back when red orbs of energy suddenly hovered around the brunet when he turned. Dust kicked up from the explosion and reacting on instinct, Kain leaped up into the air, dodging the angry red spear Squall had become as he tried to drive his gunblade through the Dragoon.

Coming out of his charge, Squall quickly channeled his magick into his weapon again, extending his reach and pointing it upwards. Seeing the attack, the armored Dragoon channeled his own magick onto his lance as he rapidly descended onto the brunet with an angry cry. "Bow down!"

Their weapons clashed, sending a shockwave of energy coursing through their bodies from the backlash.

"Damn it." Squall cursed when he was once again forced onto one knee. He had hoped to play off the Dragoon's instincts and force him to dodge from his blasting zone. Blue-gray eyes narrowed angrily when he saw Kain come out of his flip to land gracefully onto the ground before taking steady breaths.

The SeeD focused on his foe as he reassessed his situation again. Kain was winded, cuts and dust littering the tall man's armor, but he was nonetheless unscathed save for his bloodied lip. In contrast, he was still injured. His leg and fatigue aside, the continued skirmish had reopened his wounded arm, his impromptu cauterization doing nothing to stem the internal bleeding.

Kain looked down when he landed, feeling his chest ache painfully when he realized he was standing on the puddle of Squall's blood- his comrade's blood. Blood, that came from a wound he had caused. Doubts and second thoughts bombarded his mind- was he really doing the right thing?- but he shook them off just as quickly as they came. His mind was already made up, his resolve to follow this path already made.

"You ready to talk?" Squall asked between pants, his grip on his gunblade remaining taut amidst the protests of his body. He winced after one particular breath and noted that Kain had managed to bruise the ninth rib on his right.

_As long as nothing's broken._ He thought morbidly. _No matter, it seems my backup has arrived._

"I have said all I can." The Dragoon spoke evasively. His eyes suddenly narrowed from his helmet when he noticed Squall's posture and couldn't help but echo the brunet's earlier statement. "What are you plotting?"

A roar resounded through the air and Kain and Squall immediately jumped apart just as a jet of blue slammed into the ground between them. The Dragoon's eyes widened at the sight of the Transient Lion and his gaze immediately flickered over to the SeeD and narrowed heatedly at the triumph in his eyes.

_The river! _Kain's mind raced.

"You pla-!" His accusation was cutoff when his instincts screamed at him to dodge just as spears of magick erupted from the ground beneath his feet. Part of him wanted to dismiss this intervention as mere coincidence but he knew better; Squall had plotted this all along. Kain thought that _he_ was the one stalling, trying to outlast the wounded brunet. He never once thought that it could have been the other way around.

_This man is truly a worthy ally._ The Dragoon thought, his mind reeling as it rapidly tried to take stock of the situation. He twirled his weapon, firing a gust of wind at the Transient Witch. The slow manikin couldn't dodge the spell in time and was knocked back. _I must ensure Squall proceeds to the next cycle at all costs!_

For his part, Squall calmly threw his gunblade at the witch's manikin when it recovered, just as it turned its attention in his direction, feeling a sense of satisfaction at his accomplishment despite the way his battered body protested.

_Now to withdraw._ The SeeD thought, planting an open palm strike at the Transient Lion's front after dodging its swipe, the force of the blow sending it backwards towards the charging Dragoon.

Kain attempted to bat the manikin to the side only to be caught up in the explosion Squall had planted on its chest. The Dragoon inwardly cursed at how his advantage rapidly deteriorated. Sensing more manikins closing in on him, he attempted to leap up into the air only for the skies themselves to deny him his escape when heavy blobs of water rained down on him, sending his body crashing onto the rocky ground from the impact.

As Squall retrieved his weapon and made to flee, his eyes drifted to his attacker just in time to see his body impact against the ground. His blue-gray eyes narrowed at the Dragoon's fallen form. Despite the battle their battle just now, Squall had anticipated that Kain would make his escape once the manikins arrived instead of choosing to pursue him.

_He's really driven._ Squall noted, gripping the hilt of his weapon. No matter, he could leave the man behind- it was Kain that attempted to assassinate him after all. A frown made its way to his face. _Or was he really?_

**-Flash-**

_**Things are not as they first appear, my contractor. Trust in **_**them **_**once more, for your safety.**_

**-Flash-**

"_You look as heartless as Artie says."_

Blue-gray eyes blinked angrily, trying to stay awake and focused on the battle.

_Damn it you two._

He had decided.

The ground beneath him shook and Squall rolled to the side to avoid the rows of stalagmites that erupted from the ground. His eyes immediately followed the origin to find the Idle Sky Pirate already running away to escape.

It wasn't fast enough, as rows of electricity suddenly cackled before it drew the manikin straight into the business end of his gunblade. Discarding the fading body, Squall immediately channeled his magick as he pelted the manikins surrounding the recovering Dragoon with a fusillade of spells.

"Get up, Highwind!" Squall commanded with a growl, deciding that now wasn't the time for the Dragoon to perish. He needed answers, what with the Dragoon's motives still unclear.

The manikins turned their attention to the brunet and Squall cursed, staring down the group of manikins with a defiant glare. His eyes flickered to the Dragoon's rising form before flickering back to the crystalline abominations when they charged at him.

Spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, Squall leaped back just as Kain descended, skewering the manikins pursuing him. "My thanks." Kain spoke gratefully, his eyes trained forward at the suddenly wary figures.

Squall's brows furrowed in annoyance. "You're not off the hook." He spoke warningly at the Dragoon. "You still owe me an explanation."

Kain smirked at the man's reminder. "Of course."

The manikins, having had enough of waiting, resumed their onslaught.

"They come!" Kain's lance clashed against the Capricious Thief manning the frontline before he pushed back. He ignored the gust of wind when two manikins ran past his. As expected, the Dragoon heard Squall's roar as the manikins were flung back by the force of the explosions from Squall's attack.

_A useful skill._ Kain noted, tilting his head backwards as he dodged the Thief's blades before catching it by its tail and tossing it back, its crystalline body slamming against the charging horde. A dull thud sounded from behind him.

The Dragoon quickly glanced behind him, noting that Squall was once again on one knee as blood continued to pour out of his wounds. His face was whiter than when they met and the armored man winced, knowing he was the cause of this.

"Retreat." Squall gasped between steadying breaths.

Kain nodded, swinging his spear in a wide arc that knocked out the manikins caught in its way. Taking advantage of the gap between attacks, Kain immediately moved to help his comrade when the ground underneath him suddenly gave way.

"SQUALL!" He shouted in surprise.

Squall watched as everything seemed to slow down as he calmly fell from the high cliff and into the unrelenting abyss below, subconsciously unsummoning his weapon as it vanished from his grasp.

He wanted to be shocked, yes, but he was tired- too tired and drained- that he couldn't care anymore. As the light from his eyes finally dimmed, only one thought rang through his mind.

_This… is familiar._

_**Open your eyes, Squall!**_

Left atop the precipice, Kain cursed at the sudden wrench tossed into his plan. Battle instincts flaring, Kain immediately took off into the skies, dodging the manikins that attempted to take advantage of his surprise. As he descended from skyward, the Dragoon couldn't help but wonder if he should attempt to find the brunet's body so he could house it with the others but thought against it; he needed to finish what he started.

Maybe this was for the best.

With any luck, Squall would still be reincarnated for the next cycle.

_Forgive me…_ Kain thought as he landed before taking off into a sprint. _And I wish you luck for the next fight._

Strengthening his resolve, the Dragoon fled the battlefield.

* * *

><p>Prishe was bored.<p>

Extremely bored.

She had finished repairing her fishing rod more and then proceeded to stalk the riverbank for a spot to sit on. Her stomach growled, making her brows furrow in annoyance as it reminded her that she had been hunched over this spot for more than _just_ a few minutes, and her mind raced with backup plans in case she couldn't find them any fish. After all, the animals that used to prance around these lands seemed to have disappeared with time.

Maybe Aerith could find them berries again?

She sighed, laying her head back against the flat boulder and rested her head against her arms, her crossed legs holding the pole securely between her toned thighs.

A frown marred her face as she thought about the lack of fish swimming through the river.

_I need to find a way out of here._ She reminded herself. It was only a matter of time before all the resources in this land were depleted. While she couldn't die permanently thanks to her curse, she wasn't beyond the natural cravings and needs of mortals- food being the biggest pleasure she indulged herself in with great gusto.

Her thoughts soured as the topic of her immortality resurfaced, the curse she was forced to bear with ever since she could remember, and the same curse that forced her to live throughout this land ever since the first time she was summoned, back when the fauna of this world ran rampantly through the fields and plains.

Seriously, what had changed?

_Could it be the wars? Or was it those crystalline things?_ She brainstormed, trying to find something to blame her anxiety on. _How many cycles has it been?_ She had lost count somewhere down the line.

The wind ran their caress against her ears, helping to ease some of the unease she felt threatening to explode from within her.

_It's all his fault!_ She yelled in her mind, thinking of that brunet with the _ugly scar _on his head. _It's all his fault._ The immortal Elvaan repeated like a mantra, tears unconsciously welling up in the corner of her from her despair. _If he didn't break his promise… then we might've put a stop to this cycle._

His promise that he'd return with answers, those blue-gray eyes that looked at her with uncharacteristic warmth as he chose to sacrifice himself to see the very end of the war with his own eyes, that he may find the answer she sought and free her from her shackles. She remembered how she fought back against him and his decision but the brunet was a stubborn man-child; once he decided on a course of action, there was no stopping him… and so he _left_.

Her frown deepened.

_If he did his job properly the first time…_

If the black lion had killed her the first time they fought, if he had properly killed her… would she have escaped from this world? She immediately shot _that_ thought down, already knowing the answer.

Once upon a time, the Warriors of Cosmos triumphed against Chaos…

…and Prishe remained in this world for the next, her heart breaking when all her surviving allies disappeared one after the other as they head back to their home worlds.

Leaving the immortal Elvaan to scream her frustrations into the skies.

She blinked her eyes open, unshed tears glistening in her seeing orbs. Her mouth twitched several times before she finally forced a smile to etch itself across her face, however strained it was.

This was pathetic.

Her thoughts were pathetic.

Aerith would do more than flick her nose if the young woman found out.

There was no point in thinking about these now; what was important was that _she_ focused on finding the way out of this accursed world.

A heavy tug from her fishing rod brought her back to reality, her heart suddenly racing from the thought of food easily banishing the dark clouds of her mind as she sprang to her feat, grasping the rod tightly with both hands as she stood on the boulder.

"Yeah, finall-" her words died in her throat.

The first she noticed was the red that polluted the water- blood, she confirmed, after subconsciously sniffing the air. But it wasn't the blood that made her heart skip a beat.

It wasn't the tattered jacket, the cuts and scrapes and bruises across his body, nor was it the fact that her hook had somehow managed to _latch_ on that necklace he so held dear.

It was that _serene mug_ he called a face that made her leap into the water and pull the _much_ taller warrior against her breast tightly, hugging whatever life was left of him.

"Squall…!" Prishe fought back the tears that threatened to spill. Her mind raced- he kept his promise! He's here! Why did he take so damn long? !- when her hand brushed against the arm she hadn't noticed was causing the river to dye with red, eliciting a weak pained groan from the unconscious man.

Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she whispered menacingly in his ears, white magick already enveloping her fist as she proceeded to heal his wound.

"You better not die on me, mister, or _you'll_ be reunited with _my _fist!"

Amidst her threat, a lone drop of happiness slid down her cheek.

Squall had _returned_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know I said I wouldn't write Kain and Squall's battle in detail but meh :'D I wanted to contrast how different the originals are from the manikins, as well as delve more into Kain's motives and Squall's thoughts. I was tempted to put more memory flashes as the transition between the last two scenes but decided against it; this chapter's already long enough.

Anyway, there we have it! The long-awaited reunion between Prishe and Squall, heralding the beginning of the main plot for this arc! Woohoo~! I wonder how many people wondered why I kept stressing how Prishe and Aerith were travelling near a river in their previous appearances :'D While it's easy to deduce that 'rivers lead to civilization', I've already stated that apart from the Warriors and manikins, the only other civilization inhabiting the world are the moogles ;D

…

Now to get back to my revision ~_~

Reviews are, as always, appreciated :D and once more, thanks for following this story up to this point!

_**Edited 3 November 2011:**_ Made the changes; thanks mike!


	11. Chapter 11: Relief for the Wanderer

**A/N: **Heh, it's been a while since the last update. I'd just like to take this space to answer several question posted in the previous chapter.

To mike:

1) You'll see in this chapter, though that's not the reason for the Lightning/Squall pairing. As many of you have guessed, Squall Leonhart is my favorite Final Fantasy character, and FF8 my favorite of all the series thus far. I also main Squall in Dissidia, and while initially disappointed that he's so under-powered (let's be real here, people. You could take a level 1 Onion Knight with zero equips and pit him against say, a level 105 Jecht/Firion/Golbez and set the CPU to the hardest difficulty and kill them less than half the time it takes Squall to do so. I've tried, believe me :/ Brv-to-HP attacks are just annoying) and under-appreciated in other installments (Damn you Kingdom Hearts!), as a fanfiction author, I could play around with his character within reasonable suspension of disbelief. Lightning on the other hand... I actually have mixed feelings about her portrayed character, but overall enjoyed partnering her up with Squall in 012. Sure it wasn't the best Assist Team, but Jecht and Kuja are too overused (and broken).

After a while, my fanboyism started seeing more and more their potential as a couple and voila, LTRA formed as my complaint against the horrible story of 012, where everything was such an in-your-face trainwreck (and there actually wasn't any interaction between Squall and Lightning besides that _one_ generic line in the reports, while Squeenix seemed to be blatantly shipping Lightning off to Firion or Kain, both of which I have a grudge against for different reasons).

2) The answer to Squall and Prishe, you'll see in this chapter. As for Zack? Well, as this is a 012 Alternate Retelling, I'm actually sticking to the 012 cast for this cycle. This means no adding other characters for the twelfth cycle, though this doesn't mean they weren't involved in the previous cycles. As you've already seen, Zack was a major character in the _first cycle_. I chose him because of his personality; he's someone I could see being able to befriend people 'on the other side', and as CC has proven, willing to go beyond his limits to fight for his friends (which I've portrayed as a not-always-good thing). Zack can get pretty caught up in the moment, after all.

3) At the beginning of 012, before Lightning finds out about Kain's betrayal but after Cosmos has granted her blessing, Lightning's party was actually comprised of her, Laguna, Vaan, and Tifa. I'm sticking with that. For the most part of this arc, Lightning's adventures will remain unchanged, which poses a dilemma for me that I hope all you readers can answer: Should I chronicle Lightning's journey, also? 012 players already know how her story goes, but for those that haven't played 012, I could either type out her adventure or just give a brief summary of its highlights.

This arc will be pretty Squall-Prishe-Aerith centric, after all.

To Thien:

Shiva didn't acquiesce to Kain's plan, but could feel the concern Kain has for his comrades. As I've shown, the Guardian Forces aren't perfect beings. They have thoughts, they have emotions, and they can be tricked ;) I actually have a theory for how Guardian Forces can be formed based on FF8 which I might add in this story, later on. Also, as much as I'd like to see Lightning rip Kain a new one for personal reasons, I can't in good conscience as an author write it :( Lightning's shown to be quite forgiving/understanding when she's cooled down, as evidence by her forgiving Fang in FF13 ;_;

For those wondering why Kain couldn't defeat the weakened Squall in the previous chapter, I'd like to (grudgingly) point out that he _did_. Squall was already beaten, in the sense that he couldn't physically fight anymore (hence the blackout). Kain was physically fine, and was aiming to _capture_, not kill, which is actually much, much harder to do. Squall's objective was actually to 'strategically retreat' by drawing the manikins as a distraction. Shucks for him about that monkey wrench but hey, at least he's now reunited with Prishe, eh?

~_~ though by 012 mechanics, I'd say Squall could easily wipe the floor with Kain (or maybe that's just me, since people keep saying Kain's an overpowered camper). From what I've seen, Kain can easily build up his assist gauge with his Jump attack... but when I played around with Fated Circle (ground), I kept dodging Kain's attack and nailing him with it o_0 There's slight timing involved but not much; it's the perfect counter to Kain's spamming, in my opinion o_o

Now without further delay, here's the completed Chapter 11! Enjoy ^_^/

* * *

><p><em>His sword fell from his shaky grip to clatter in an undignified metallic mass on the cold floor. He stumbled backwards as his adrenaline left him drained, his legs giving way beneath him and sending his body crashing to the ground.<em>

"_Why…?" Moisture gathered at the corners of his eyes._

_A pained groan from before him made his luminous eyes snap forward to where his comrade-turned-foe, the heartless murderer that ended his _friend_'s life, was embedded into the outer wall of the looming tower their battle had lead them to._

"_Tell me, why? !" Zack screamed before his body was wracked with violent coughing fits, blood splattering on the ground below him._

_Silence was his reply._

"_You are…" He started, his brow knitted in pain as he willed strength into his legs to stand. "I know… you're better than that…"_

_The raven SOLDIER swayed, almost falling backwards before he caught himself and lurched forward, dragging his protesting legs towards the hunched over brunet that was the defeated Squall._

_A gloved fist shot towards the man, grabbing his collar before pulling hard._

"_Why did you do it… Squall?"_

_Another groan and the brunet lifted his head to gaze at the SOLDIER with a half-focused eye._

"_It's my…" he sucked in a deep breath- Hyne, that man could throw a hit, huh?- and stared at his once friend defiantly. "…mission."_

_As if those words were a draining magick, the remains of Zack's strength left him and both warriors crashed into the ground._

_Despite feeling his life bleed out of him, the SOLDIER could not allow the eternal sleep to take hold of him until he made his peace. "What kind of a-" a sharp intake of breath and he fought the blood threatening to drown him. "-mission kills _your _friends?" he growled angrily. "You were friends!"_

_Cold blue-grey eyes widened angrily._

"_Prishe picked her side!" Squall shouted heatedly._

"_You helped each other!" Zack shot back just as heatedly before his voice died down and he spoke softly. "Why did you kill her?"_

"…"

"_Squall…" He needed to know; he wouldn't be able to rest if Squall really was the mechanical murderer he made himself out to be._

"_Prishe chose… to side…" The mercenary's voice was getting weaker with each pained word he struggled to voice. "With the witch…_

… _my… mission."_

_And that was it._

_Tears spilled from the corners of the SOLDIER's eyes, tears of anguish that the man he called his friend was nothing more than a cold-blooded mercenary. He didn't want to believe it; he saw that Squall was capable of being something more than that, higher than that._

_Did his eyes deceive him? Let him see something that truly wasn't there?_

_No._

_He believed in Squall- in what he'd seen the mercenary do and _could_ do. It was pointless to think and entertain such thoughts when they both were already at death's door but he could not cross it unless he'd make his peace._

_Zack sighed heavily, his tension leaving his body, already numb from the pain and bloodloss and damn, he might have had a concussion when Squall's heel crashed into his temple._

_His body had already given up on him, broken as it is._

_But not his heart._

_Not his spirit._

_Those two would never yield._

"_There's more to life than your mission." He found himself speaking clearly, serenely. "Squall… I know you're more than that." There it was. Oblivion was slowly creeping into his sight. "I know you're better than that; above that!"_

_Did those stars just vanish?_

"_Squall, can you hear me?"_

_The tower did vanish._

"_I know the truth about you, Squall…"_

_His sky-colored eyes were gazing at nothing at this point but that did not wipe the smile from his face._

"… _Because we're friends."_

_Silence._

_A long and tranquil silence._

"_Hyne, you're an idiot."_

_Zack allowed death to claim him with a wry smirk on his lips; that bastard just_ had _to get the last line._

* * *

><p>"AERITH!"<p>

That was the only warning the flower girl had before the ball of energy known as Prishe skidded to a halt a few feet in front of her, kicking a cloud of dust in her wake.

"Prishe, what-?"

Her eyes widened at the large man in the Elvaan girl's arms. It was a rather odd sight, and had matters not been so urgent, she would have laughed at how the shorter girl was able to carry the man more than a foot taller than her effortlessly.

"I need your help!" Prishe's voice was frantic. "This is Squall- he's _still_ bleeding! My white magick! It's not-"

"Set him down!" Aerith leaped to her feet, making space on the grass she had rested on.

Prishe dropped the man where she stood.

"Not there!" She raised her voice chidingly, inwardly wincing at the dull thud the man's body made when it hit the unrelenting gravel.

The Elvaan frantically picked up the brunet- "R-right!"- and carried him over to the spot Aerith had vacated…

"Gently!"

… before dropping him onto the merciless ground.

The unconscious Squall did not make a sound.

Aerith shook her head and waved off the apologetic Prishe before scanning the unconscious man's injuries. "Calm down, Prishe."

"I am! Help him!" the tanned girl's eyes darted between her and the prone man.

"Prishe!" Aerith shouted.

"What? !"

"Calm. Down!" She stressed each syllable. "You're not helping him with the way you're acting."

"_You_ help him!" Prishe snapped. "My magick isn't working on him!"

Aerith pursed her lips before beginning to take off the man's jacket and shirt. "Help me." She called out to her companion, who quickly complied.

The flower girl's eyes shifted when no response came from the man when Prishe pulled at his arm a tad too roughly.

"Gently, Prishe." She chided the immortal Elvaan again.

"My magick… it's not working on him." Despair seeped out from Prishe's mouth and Aerith realized how heart-wrenching this must be for her friend. "Why isn't it working…?"

Aerith blinked in wonder after she finished surveying the man's wounds. She placed her thumb and forefinger delicately over his eyelids and pried them apart, watching _how_ his pupils shifted in response to the light entering them.

"Prishe…" she spoke softly in a half-whisper. "It's alright. He's alright."

"No, no he's not!" The Elvaan shouted. "He's too pale! His breathing's so shallow; his heartbeat's slow!"

She placed a comforting hand on the monk's shoulder and squeezed it firmly in reassurance. "He's not going to die anytime soon, Prishe." She spoke. "He's just fatigued- really badly fatigued- and from the look of it, he's lost a lot of blood."

The flower girl's brows knitted. _Far too much blood._

"O-oh!" Realization dawned on the Elvaan monk. "What do we do?"

"Nothing." Aerith spoke simply, drawing another worried glance from the purple-haired girl. "You've healed him, Prishe, but wherever this man has been, whatever he's been doing, it's drained him. We can only wait for him to recover his strength, Prishe."

"But-!"

"_Prishe_." Aerith spoke more firmly. "He returned to you, didn't he?"

The flower girl could see the cloud of manic worry in her companion's eyes slowly lift and she pressed onwards, taking the leather jacket from Prishe's immobile hands and folding it neatly.

"He didn't betray your trust, right? So believe in him; he'll be fine."

Aerith lifted the man's head slowly and tucked the folded article of clothing underneath it as a makeshift pillow.

"Now, go make us a bowl." She commanded her companion, who returned a questioning look at her. "We need to clean him."

"Oh. Right." Prishe shook her head before patting her cheeks as she regained her boisterous spirit. "Right! I'll be back sooner than you'll know it!"

"Good. I'll just be here to watch over him until you get back."

Prishe threw one last glance at the resting Squall before dashing off.

With her companion gone, Aerith let out a low sigh as she worriedly glanced at the man. She didn't want to mention that the man was comatose in front of her friend; it was clear Prishe had been waiting for this reunion far more anxiously than she let on, and that was already saying a lot, and the news of the brunet's cerebral function might only break the immortal's spirit.

"You better wake up soon, Squall." She whispered to the unconscious man. "I don't know what you've been doing but Prishe _needs_ you right now."

* * *

><p><em>Squall spared an annoyed glare behind him at the purple-haired monk that stalked after him like an angry warden, her footfalls curiously matching his brisk pace without lagging behind as they trudged through the mountain path.<em>

"_Stop following me." His even tone betrayed the annoyance he felt inside._

"_Not likely, traitor." Prishe growled back. He bristled at the pet name she had made for him. "I'm not letting you out of my sight, traitor!"_

_The mercenary briefly entertained the idea of making a run for it, only to once more dash that trail of thought as he recalled the last time he attempted to do so._

_Who knew such a small-looking… elf… could uproot trees with her wiry arms? What more, toss them like it was nobody's business?_

_His lips curled in a displeased frown. "You're an irritating midget."_

"_And you're a traitor, traitor." She riposted without missing a beat._

"_Stop calling me that." He commanded menacingly._

_While normally he didn't care what people said about him, the fact that she had been calling him that and tailing him like a bloodhound since he embarked on his journey- a journey he was supposed to make _alone_- was really trying on his already thin patience._

"_Calling you what, traitor?" she grinned viciously. "Traitor, I'm just calling it like it is, traitor."_

_He abruptly stopped and turned to glare at her._

"_I'm not a traitor."_

_Prishe folded her arms at him defiantly. "Oh but you are a traitor, traitor." Her blue eyes narrowed accusingly. "I don't know why they let you in, traitor, but I know where your allegiance lies! You're a no-good backstabbing traitor!"_

"_My _allegiance_-" he emphasized the word as if she had problems understanding concepts. "-is with Cosmos, for she has found me a way back to where I came from."_

"_Right. And that's by killing the opposition, right traitor?" Her lips thinned and her heart started pumping in anticipation. The last time they fought, she wasn't prepared despite knowing the murderer's capabilities. "And that means us, right traitor?"_

_The Elvaan monk punched her palm challengingly. "Well, not this time, traitor. I've got my eyes on you."_

_Squall's eyes hardened. "Well then, what are you waiting for?"_

_To his mild surprise, the shorter warrior did not take the bait but instead lowered her arms to her side, though that did not mean the fire in her eyes did cool. "I'm waiting for you to make your move so I can expose you as the traitor _we_ both know you are!"_

_A wry smirk formed on his lips at the loud girl's words. "Assuming I was going to betray everyone, now that you've told me what you're waiting for, I can just conceal my actions all the more."_

"_Oh you'll slip up." There was a cockiness in her voice that unsettled him; she truly believed in her words._

"_What makes you say that?"_

_Another manic flash of her pearly white canines._

"_Because you are a traitor, traitor."_

* * *

><p>Prishe found a rather large rock about the twice the size of her fists and about as deep.<p>

Her heart was still pounding against her ears.

It started when she had come down from her euphoria at having been reunited with the unconscious mercenary, and quickly took the opportunity to heal the man, her hands glowing with the healing light of a curaga.

His wounds closed, his bleeding stopped, but his eyes wouldn't open and he remained depressingly unresponsive. Too unresponsive.

She shrugged it off initially; the man had reacted when her first rough touches patted his wounds, right?

But the creeping claws of uncertainty seized her when he continued to be so.

Frantically, she pressed her ears against his moist chest and fear gripped her when she registered the low beat.

"_You'd better not die on me! You hear me? !"_

So she brought his still form into his arms and raced towards her companion; Aerith had proven her innate knowledge in healing, and the flower girl already had a healer's kindness.

Prishe shook her head and plopped her rear ungracefully onto the ground beneath her, rock held securely in both hands before resting it between her legs. She lifted her right hand while holding the rock in place with her left before channeling her ki, feeling the all-too familiar sensation of energy coalescing in her right palm as a ball of swirling green before she pressed it against the massive rock, powdery dust streaming from her actions as she grinded a hole into the mass before stopping just as she felt like she was going to punch through.

Extracting her hand, the purple haired monk looked back at her handiwork before tracing an inspecting finger along its smooth surface with a satisfied grin.

"Awesome!" She nodded to herself before picking herself up and shooting off towards the stream like a cannonball.

"I wonder if he found the answer…" the monk found herself muttering her thoughts as she absently rinsed the stone bowl.

She felt her face flushing angrily at her foolishness.

Of course he found the answer! Otherwise, he had no reason to disappear for so long, no excuse for making her wait all this time.

But a dark voice whispered in her ear and she couldn't help but entertain the thought; was there really a way out? That hulking monster like knight had to be lying- spouting vile venom just to break her spirit when he laid out the truth of this battle to her _that_ time they fought.

"_Your struggle is borne only to fuel my master's strength." His voice was deep and loud and continued aggravating her nerves. "Did your goddess not tell you? You are doomed to fail this war!"_

"_Shut up!" Blood poured profusely down her face, sealing her right eye shut. She was battered around like a ragdoll; Garland's strength was one unlike any other she'd ever experienced, and the stalwart beast's endurance was humbling as he shrugged off her onslaught. "What do you know? !"_

"_I know the truth!" He bellowed with certainty, his yellow eyes glowing malevolently as he swung his massive blade to the side._

_So caught up was she in her ferocious assault that she couldn't dodge the attack for her mind had registered it too late._

_Prishe raised her arms and screamed when the bludgeoning steel rammed into her, sending her sailing through the air only to impact against what should have been unyielding trees._

"_But you," the knight growled angrily as he approached the struggling monk. "You are an anomaly. A heretic of nature! You serve no purpose in these lands and worse still, you have delayed my master's ambition!"_

"_If you weren't so pathetic," Prishe spat as she swayed to a stand, fists raised at the ready. "then you wouldn't have lost the war!"_

"_Lost?" A deep rumble sounded and she realized he was laughing. "Foolish abomination; we have not lost. Have you already forgotten what I have imparted with you?" she could feel his leer from behind his helmet. "This war exists solely for Chaos to gain his strength! We have not lost; you've merely just delayed the inevitable!"_

_Garland gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands and charged at the woman like an angry bull._

"_Look around you, wench!"_

_Prishe jumped backwards when the hulking knight started spinning, struggling to focus her blue eyes on that blade of his._

"_The war has begun anew!"_

_Seeing his weapon tilt downwards, the monk leaped into the air only to widen her eyes when the knight's gauntlet caught her leg faster than she could react._

"_Your efforts are futile!"_

_He pulled her downwards, slamming her against the flat of his blade._

"_There is no escape!"_

_A strangled gasp came from the monk as her breath abruptly left her. Far from finished, Garland brought his blade upwards, tossing her into him as he slammed his helmeted skull viciously against hers._

"_Not even for an abomination like you."_

_Cold, metal hands gripped the sides of her neck as the Knight of Chaos raised her off the ground._

"_Let us test the limits of your immortality, wench."_

_Prishe struggled with what little strength she had left, punching his arm and kicking his chest. The knight merely grunted at her actions but his strength never wavered. As black spots started descending into her vision, the monk channeled all her remaining energy- both her magick and ki- into one last kick._

"_Test this, jerkass!"_

_Her attack impacted underneath the brute's armpit in a last ditch effort to make him release her._

_Garland made no response that he felt the blow._

"_Foolish abomination."_

The Elvaan girl shook her head from her sordid reverie.

That was the last that she could remember from their fight. She died mere moments after she next woke up; lungs burning from the lack of oxygen, head feeling like it was going to implode from all the pressure her watery grave was exerting on it.

The next moment she woke up was the same as the previous, and so were the successive moments.

Death and rebirth.

An endless cycle of death and rebirth awaited her.

Squall, where was he when she needed him? !

"Damn it!" She slammed her hand against the water's surface.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Prishe howled as she felt warmth trickle down from the corners of her eyes.

Her body was trembling and she placed the cause on the cold, running water.

"He's back…" she muttered loudly with a violent shake of her head as she tried to convince herself. "He's back. He returned. He's here, damn it!"

Purple locks danced angrily as the Elvaan monk threw her head back and glared defiantly at the darkening skies.

"And he's not going anywhere!"

Not this time!

* * *

><p>"<em>I pegged you to be smarter than that." Squall's snide comment came and he growled angrily when she slapped the wound on his exposed stomach.<em>

"_Shut it. I'm working here, ingrate." Prishe returned haughtily, never allowing their gazes to meet so that he wouldn't see the turmoil that swirled within._

_Why, Artemis?_

_Why did she attack?_

_Weren't they friends? Kindred spirits bound by foolish prophecies?_

_The silver-haired Sorceress was not an illusion, despite her somehow ageing since they last met. She had been elated that her friend survived- never questioned just how one could survive such savage butchery that dark mercenary had inflicted upon her friend- only elated, delighted, and thrilled- too thrilled- that her friend was alive._

_Too thrilled to ask how she had grown up, too thrilled to ask how she survived._

_Too thrilled to not notice as a spear of ice formed at her side which raced blindingly towards her awaiting breast until Squall had tackled her into the ground, a large gash at the side of his waist was his payment._

_The resulting one-sided skirmish had forced them to flee- when had Artemis gotten so strong? So vicious?_

_And why did she keep denying their relation?_

_They were friends, damn it!_

"_It's healed." Squall's voice cut her off and she snapped towards him._

_The brunet's eyes widened marginally in surprise before schooling his gaze, and Prishe cursed herself internally before letting go of the man and allowing him to put his now dry shirt back on._

"_How do you know that witch?" His voice was accusing and forceful and the monk bit her tongue from firing back an angry insult; the bastard _did _save her life._

"_Wouldn't you like to know?" She chuckled mirthlessly, eyes studying the far wall apathetically._

_Squall's lips curled unpleasantly in annoyance. "That's why I'm asking." He turned his gaze away. "Tell me."_

_The monk threw him an incredulous glare. "I can't tell if you're being serious or mocking me. Which is it?"_

_Deciding to humour her, the SeeD answered truthfully. "I'm being serious. How _do _you know Ultimecia?"_

_Prishe bristled at the name. "That again. You called her that last time, too."_

Before you decided to slaughter her.

_Squall folded his arms and stared at her pointedly. "It's her name. Didn't you hear her?"_

Are those ears just for show?

_Feeling his gaze on her ears, Prishe quickly covered them and glared at him. "No touching! And of course I heard her."_

_How could she not?_

_Feeling that he'd humoured her enough, he continued insistently. "Then answer my question."_

"_You should already know the answer, idiot." A stray thought flittered through her mind and she couldn't help commenting. "Or did you suffer from brain damage when I wasn't looking?"_

_Squall slammed his hand against the ground angrily, making her gaze snap towards him from the sudden action._

"_Answer the question!"_

_Despite herself, Prishe couldn't stop her own angry retort. "Or what? You're gonna kill me?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Careful, little man. You failed to kill me last time; what makes you so sure you can do it again?"_

_To her surprise, Squall suddenly looked pensive at her words instead of drawing his weapon._

"_Last time?" He questioned and Prishe had to give credit where it was due; the man was a talented actor. For a moment there, she was almost lead to believe that he really didn't remember her. "What exactly do you mean by that, Prishe?"_

_She huffed angrily. "_Exactly_ what it means. Stop playing dumb!"_

_Squall leaned back against the cavern's walls and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to process what she was saying. "So what, we've met before?"_

_Prishe's eyes widened incredulously at him. "Right. Forget what I said about you playing dumb; you _are_ dumb!" at his blank response, she slapped her forehead. "Of course we've met before! We even fought and you tried to kill me!"_

"_I don't recall any of that."_

_Anger boiled inside of her at his dismissal. "What, you've killed so many people that you forgot about little old me?"_

"No_." He drew out the word a tad too strongly than usual. "There's only one person I want to kill, and that person definitely isn't some loud-mouthed midget."_

"_Liar! Tell me the truth, bastard!" She drew herself up against him, staring coldly into his stoic eyes. "Answer me. Do you or don't you remember us meeting before?"_

_Squall stared at her coolly. "I don't."_

_The shorter warrior slowly drew herself back, eyes widening in realization as a sinking feeling made its way to the pit of her stomach._

"_What… the hell… is going on…?"_

* * *

><p>A chorus of mangled roars drew both women's attention from tending to the injured brunet.<p>

"What the-?" Prishe's words were cut off when she spotted the crystalline figures stampeding towards them down the rocky precipice across the stream.

"Prishe…?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"No! Carry him!" Aerith commanded of her companion. It hadn't been long since Prishe returned and they had just finished cleaning Squall of his wounds. Nevertheless, the approaching gang of crystalline figures didn't seem like the friendly type, what with their blades raised in their charge. Knowing it was better to flee in such a situation instead of holding their ground, Aerith frantically moved to pack the tattered notes they had gathered. "We have to run!"

"But-!"

"Protect Squall, Prishe. I'll protect our rear!" She gave her companion a pained look. "He hasn't had enough rest yet, and we can't fight as we are!" Aerith threw a worried glance at the horde; already she could feel the ground rumbling below her booted feet. "He's finally returned to you, Prishe. We can't let him perish here!"

Why were they were the manikins attacking _now_?

"R-right!" The monk nodded quickly as she slipped on his jacket around her frame and picked up the unconscious man. "Hold on tight, princess." She whispered to the unresponsive brunet. "We're taking off!"

And they did, Aerith lagging behind the sprinting Elvaan girl.

A mangled shout sounded before bolts of fire raced towards the fleeing pair.

"Reflect!"

Upon Aerith's call, a barrier shimmer for a split second before the fiery barrage impacted, sending the magicks back at the approaching horde.

Amidst the sounds of explosions, neither of the two women slowed down their pace, their hearts pumping adrenaline throughout their limbs as they raced to put as much distance between themselves and their assailants as possible.

"Did we get all of 'em?" Prishe looked back, only to spot a group of manikins kick off from the dust cloud to take themselves to the skies. "Aerith! Incoming!"

"I've got it!" The flower girl shouted before channeling her magick again just as a rain of meteors pelted them. "Ancient light, protect us! Wall!"

The meteor bombardment fell short of its prey as it impacted on an invisible barrier.

"Quick, follow me!" The Elvaan monk shouted hurriedly, drawing the unconscious man in her arms tightly towards her as she took off into the foliage to get out of the flying mages' sights.

Aerith made no reply as she followed, gaining more ground as Prishe maneuvered more carefully now that they were in the forest lest she bash Squall's head into a tree by accident.

"You're so much trouble." Prishe grunted her complaint at the brunet. "First you make me wait for so long and now this!" As if to punctuate her exclamation, another explosion rocked the trees behind them. "THIS!"

Despite their situation, Aerith couldn't help but chuckle loudly at her companion's comment. It seemed Prishe will be fine, all things considered.

They just had to live through this.

* * *

><p><em>The skies parted, allowing a bright ray of light shining down on the yellow field. A gentle wind caressed the flora, bringing with it a sweet scent of nostalgia and promise to the scarred SeeD's nose.<em>

_But she wasn't here._

_Squall retreated back into the stone house that was Edea's Orphanage, now rebuilt back into his previous, glorious warmth._

_So why did he feel so cold?_

"_She's by the beach, Squall." A somber voice called._

_Squall looked up to see the worried frown that marred the blonde Quistis' otherwise beautiful face._

"_Thanks." He nodded stiffly, walking past the young woman that vowed to always look after him._

_Pain flashed in her blue eyes and she called his name pleadingly. "Squall-"_

_But she held her tongue, not knowing what she could say. There was no right or wrong answer as each choice they were presented with only lead to death, and not for the first time did she curse the curse that seemed to beset her friends. "-…take care."_

_Squall threw her a reassuring glance over his shoulder, though as someone that knew the subtleties of the SeeD Commander, she could tell how forced it was and it took all of her willpower to not stop the man from this confrontation as he made his way down the stone steps to where the Sorceress stood waiting._

_Was this it?_

_Was there really no other way?_

_Much like riding a bike, Squall's gaze hardened as he raised the all-too familiar steel walls around his heart._

_It was time._

* * *

><p>"Get moving, Vaan!" Lightning shouted the sky pirate's name angrily, cursing the impulsive youth that decided on a whim that he would hold back the manikins.<p>

"I'm giving you all time to escape!" Vaan shouted just as power surged in his arms. "Take this!"

He slammed the gathered magick into the ground and grinned in satisfaction at the rows of rocky spikes he had created which ran towards the approaching crystalline horde, slamming mercilessly into them when those at the front attempted to enter the cave.

"Idiot!" She grabbed the back of the boy's vest and bodily dragged him.

"H-hey!"

Vaan's grey eyes flashedas the darting form of a Capricious Thief made it past the rocky gates he had created. "Light-!"

The deafening staccato of Laguna's gunfire sounded just milliseconds before the manikin's body jerked in parts that should not be capable of doing so, the unrelenting lead bullets ending the menace before it had a chance to register its fate.

Not that it mattered; there was plenty more where it came from.

"C'mon you two. Hurry up!" Laguna waved at them frantically. "There's time for your heroics later!"

"Tell that to this idiot!" Lightning pushed the youth forward and Vaan stumbled a few steps before catching himself. "He's the one with the bright idea."

"Like I said," The Sky Pirate brushed the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "I was trying to buy you all time! I would have been fine!"

Lightning's blue eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh yeah? How do you figure that?"

"I was just going to seal the entrance." Vaan crossed his arms. "Can't you trust me enough to do that?"

"That's beside the point!" The strawberry blonde hissed, though Laguna and Vaan knew that she was sidestepping the issue. "You're holding us back."

Laguna winced at the woman's words. "Guys, please-"

"I was just trying to help!" Vaan shouted back.

Lightning turned away with a huff. "Well, you can help by running!"

"GUYS!" Laguna shouted, drawing the attention of both his friends. His legs almost buckled under the strength of Lightning's glare and he coughed against his gloved fist to compose himself. "Tifa's already gone ahead and is probably waiting for us somewhere. Shall we make a move?"

"Right." Lightning spoke forcefully as she marched forward.

Laguna looked towards the youngest in their group. "Look, Vaan-"

The sandy-haired blond shook his head with his hand raised. "I know, I know. I've dealt with people like her before." He waved his hand dismissively before sighing and resting both his arms behind his head. "Let's go."

"Vaan…" Green eyes looked at him meaningfully and the young sky pirate grinned.

"I'll be more careful." As both men followed after the strawberry blonde's trail with tired stomps, Vaan looked forward wistfully. "Just wish I knew what's bothering her so much."

Laguna shot the blond a helpless smirk. "You and I both."

They both shared a chuckle at Lightning's expense, wordlessly hoping this wasn't the last time they'd be able to.

* * *

><p>"<em>You're what? !" Eyes the color of cerulean flame stared incredulously as she jabbed an angry finger at the brunet.<em>

"_I'm going." Squall confirmed resolutely._

_The war hadn't been going well, that much he had already accepted, but he found that he didn't care about the situation as much as he should. Ever since waking up in this strange land of strife, he had wordlessly followed Cosmos' commands as she spoke of the path home._

_It was then, as he traversed the snowy mountains in search of clues to Chaos' lair that he stumbled across the foul mouthed monk._

_Apparently, she had been anxiously waiting for him._

_For some reason._

_A reason he had no way of predicting._

_He had ignored her at first, walking past the petite woman with naught but an observing glance at her unusual ears, the only thing that piqued his interest, until she spoke of the witch's name._

That_ drew him in to converse with her._

_And much as he tried convincing his fellow Warriors of Cosmos of the Elvaan monk's plight, none would believe him; Prishe seemed to take a special offense from the Warrior of Light's denial._

_That left them as a splintered group as he trudged onwards with the petite fighter to search for the way to send her home._

_Squall had trusted his fellow Warriors of Cosmos to do whatever was necessary to win while he searched for a Plan B._

_He hadn't expected them to be wiped out, if Cosmos' distraught words were to be believed._

"_I'm going to fight." He repeated with a hardened gaze._

_It tore him apart to know that while his comrades died, he was out gallivanting through laboratories and myths, and not for the first time did he wonder _why_ nobody sought him out…_

…_or if they did try, and perished while doing so._

"_I get that you're upset, Squall." Prishe pulled on her hair as she struggled to reason with the man. "But killing yourself won't solve anything!"_

_A wry grin formed on his lips. "Prishe, how long have we been searching for the way to end this war?"_

"_I don't know; a long time?"_

"_A very long time." Squall nodded, his gaze off into the horizon. "And we still haven't found anything."_

"_Your point?" She approached the rock he had sat himself upon and sat herself beside him, trying to see what he was seeing._

_The mercenary took a deep breath before speaking what would have sounded like a crazy scheme had it been spoken in a different world. "You've always been mentioning a bright flash of light before the war begins. I think… that maybe the answer lies in death." He chuckled darkly; the battles he and Prishe fought through had allowed him to remember the previous cycles and how they ended. "It's not like I won't come back."_

"_NO!" Prishe gripped his sleeve and pulled him down to eye level. "You listen to me, idiot. You are NOT leaving me behind because of some half-cooked theory!"_

_Blue-grey eyes flashed with annoyance. "I've thought this through."_

"_Well think again! Harder this time!"_

"_I promise I'll return."_

_Her grip tightened._

"_That's not the point! C'mon, we can still beat Chaos' ass together, you and me!"_

_He wrapped his own gloved hand around her tiny wrist._

"_No. You need to stay alive-"_

"_I can't die, remember? !"_

"_-to observe." He glared at the defiant girl. "I also need you to remain here and protect Cosmos in case Chaos' men get any ideas. I'm counting on you."_

"_NO! No means no, you stubborn jerk!" She slugged his chest with her free hand and he let out a series of rasping coughs as he felt something creak. Prishe didn't seem to mind as she continued her rant. "Nobody's leaving me behind! I won't be forgotten, never again!" her eyes flashed determinedly. "I'm coming with you and that's that!"_

"_No you're not." He growled each syllable out, hand clutching his chest. "I'm not allowing you to die."_

"_Hello? Immortal here, remember?" she mocked him. "I _can't_ die!"_

"…_That doesn't mean you won't feel each death." He muttered lowly that she barely heard it even though her hearing was much more astute than his._

"_Doesn't matter." She shrugged his words off without missing a beat. "I'm coming with you and that's final."_

_At his wit's end, Squall resorted to plainly glaring at her imposingly. "I promise I'll return."_

"_Don't. Give. A. Damn."_

_She absently cleaned her ear with her pinky to prove her point._

"_You're impossible!"_

"_And you're an idiot, jerk!"_

"_Fine!" he shrugged off her grip and threw his hands up in exasperated defeat._

"_Good!" She pointed a finger bossily at him. "I'm coming with you. And don't even _think_ about sneaking off!" She pointed at her eyes with her fore and middle finger before pointing them at his. "I'm watching you, mister!"_

_Squall grunted as he made his way back to the Sanctuary. "Go start a fire."_

"_I'm serious!" Prishe shouted at him, waving her arms to draw his attention. "If you leave me behind, I'll never forgive you!"_

"_Just go start the fire." The mercenary shot back over his shoulder._

_Minutes later, Squall was dicing the herbs he had found in one of the fields during their travels through the lands._

"_Hey Squall…" Prishe's voice was uncharacteristically soft as the fire's hues danced across her eyes. The immortal monk was hunched in front of the flames, a wooden stick in hand which she used to gently prod the fire. "…I was serious, you know?"_

"…" _Squall continued to chop rhythmically, not giving any indication that he heard the girl._

"_I don't- I don't want to be left behind." She continued speaking with uncertainty. "I'd rather die fighting than watch you die… than watch you all die." Eyes of shimmering sapphire trailed over towards the mercenary. "Didn't you feel the same way? When Cosmos told us they were all dead?"_

_The brunet looked up briefly to shoot her an annoyed stare before resuming his preparations. "What kind of a conversation is this?"_

_Irritation flashed in Prishe's eyes before she took a sharp intake of breath and exhaling audibly. "Fine! Be that way!" She crossed her arms angrily as she grumbled under her breath. "I was just trying to make small talk."_

"_Your tea."_

_Prishe's head snapped to the side and, true enough, there was a bowl of liquid sitting beside the man._

"_Squall…" She trailed off before shaking her head before suddenly shouting. "Psyche! As if the mighty Prishe would care about such trivial things!"_

_The sound of chopping suddenly stopped and Squall leveled her with a deadpan stare. "Then stay behind."_

"_Hell no." She glared at him before taking the bowl and taking a sniff, unable to recognize what kind of tea it was but nonetheless, the scent was familiar. "What's this?"_

"_Sage and basil." Squall shrugged. "I had only those herbs on me. Just think of it as soup."_

"_Fine." Prishe squinted at the soup before downing it in one gulp. Finding the taste quite to her liking, she held out the bowl towards the brunet. "Gimme another."_

"…" _Squall wordlessly poured her another portion._

"_Squall…" Large, doe eyes the color of sapphires looking longingly at the brunet before she caught herself from speaking such painful and pensive thoughts. Prishe shook her head again. "Ugh."_

_She once more downed the soup._

_An hour and a heavy meal later found Prishe snoring loudly on the ground, one leg flexed unladylike while an arm rested on her stomach as she used its partner as a pillow._

**Is this alright, contractor?**_ Shiva's whisper penetrated his somber mood as he gazed hollowly at the sleeping monk._

It is. _He brushed a stray purple lock from blocking her eyes and gingerly pushed her mouth closed. The Elvaan girl rolled over to her side but did not awaken._

**She will be highly distraught with you when she awakens. **_The ice elemental counseled._

I can live with that.

**You have drugged her.**

_He briefly entertained the thought of the much shorter warrior frantically searching for him like a headless Chocobo._

She'll get over it.

_A brief pause before Shiva spoke again, her tone as if trying to convince him of his foolishness._**  
><strong>

**Contractor… Squall… are you certain? What if you're wrong?**

_The brunet spared one last glance at the slumbering monk._

I've long since put my trust in her.

_Prishe had earned it, whether the monk knew it or not. And besides, he knew he'd return for her. That much was certain._

My only question, Shiva, is this; are _you_ ready?

_In the realm of white, where the Guardian Forces resided away from the physical world, Shiva's eyes burned with determined intent._

**Need you ask, contractor? Always.**

"_I promise you Prishe." His voice was soft and warm as he pulled his hands away and stood. "I'll return no matter what the cost and free you from this hell."_

_A morbid smirk._

"_Even if it kills me."_

* * *

><p>"Gah, I hate these things!" Prishe complained as she came out of her dropkick. That was the last of the search party that came after them. She threw a quick glance over to her shoulder. "Aerith! How are you holding up?"<p>

"I…" Aerith struggled to steady her breaths as she rested her back behind the rocky wall of the cave they found, the slumbering form of the mercenary at her side. "I need to rest."

Dusk had already set in and it seemed they still hadn't shaken off their pursuers, and as luck would have it, the first refuge they stumbled across ended up as a dead end. Knowing they could not keep on running, Prishe instead chose to stand guard while Aerith recovered her strength before they'd hit the road again.

If only they could reach _their_ hideout then maybe the manikins wouldn't be able to follow them.

Prishe's eyes glanced between the unconscious Squall and the fatigued Aerith, her mind running races as it tried to figure out how she could help.

"How do they keep finding us? !" the Elvaan monk scrunched her eyes.

"I wish I knew." The flower girl panted out as she stood, using her staff for support. "They left us alone before." Her words struck the Elvaan girl and she stiffened in response. "Prishe?"

"No…" Horror bled through the tanned girl's voice as she stumbled backwards, eyes wide open. "That's…no…!"

"Prishe? !" Aerith called her friend frantically. "What is it?"

"Don't you realize, Aerith?" She pointed a finger towards the sleeping Squall. "The manikins aren't after us! They're after him!"

Aerith blinked disbelievingly before raising her hands in a calming manner. "No, that's- that doesn't make sense."

"Think about it Aerith. You said it yourself; the manikins left us alone before." The gravity of her words seemed to dawn on her and Prishe balled her hands into fists as her whole body trembled. "Damn it!"

And Aerith realized it, too.

It was either them, or Squall, whom she had no idea when he'd wake up.

But to the flower girl, the answer couldn't be any clearer.

"…I'll continue protecting him."

Prishe shot a pained look at her friend. "No. You run, Aerith. I'll stay behind and fight."

Aerith wouldn't have any of that.

"Prishe!" She shouted admonishingly. "You've waited for so long for him to come back and now he's here. If you think for a second that I'd just let your waiting go to waste, then you really don't know me at all!"

"But Aerith, you'll die!"

A quiet smile made its way to the flower girl's face. "I know how it feels to continue waiting for someone, just wanting to hear his voice one last time, Prishe, but never being able to do so." Taking a deep breath, Aerith opened her eyes to display her determined glimmering emeralds. "I'm not letting you experience that!"

A short silence descended between the two young women before Prishe started chuckling mirthlessly.

"Damn…" Prishe palmed her forehead. "I can never win… can I?" She glared at the unconscious Squall. "Man, you _are_ much more trouble than you're worth, jerk."

Both women did not expect the raspy reply that followed.

"…Hello to you, too."

"SQUALL? !" Prishe ran towards the man as she leaned over him.

Squall cracked a tired eye open before pressing his eyelids together tightly as he was attacked by a fit of dry coughs. Prishe immediately helped him to sit up as Aerith quickly unscrewed the cork of the bottle of water she carried and offered it to the brunet.

"I-" Prishe looked at the man frantically, her heart pounding against her ears. "Do you know who-"

"Prishe." He cut her off, making her face contort oddly as she didn't know whether to smile or frown at the brunet. Squall accepted the bottle from the flower girl before looking at her questioningly. "Ae…rith?"

The brunette blinked curiously at the mercenary. "Have we met before?"

Setting the bottle down after taking a satisfying gulp, Squall shook his head weakly. "I heard…"

"Squall!" Prishe hastily scrubbed the tears of joy that fell down her eyes. "I can't believe-" her eyes suddenly flashed angrily and she stood up, almost making the man hit the ground hard from the lack of support before Aerith quickly caught him. "You jerk! Liar! Asshole! Selfish bastard!"

She hurled insult after insult while rubbing her eyes. "Do you have any idea what _hell_ I've been through, you arrogant prick? ! I oughtta throw you outside for the manikins to do as they want with you!"

"Not… apologizing." Squall managed to wheeze out, though the amused smile on his lips never left. "You… haven't… changed."

Prishe huffed and folded her arms. "Well, duh! I'm immortal, remember?"

Aerith mutely studied the pair before clapping her hands to draw their attention. "Well, not to drown this reunion but, we've still got a pressing problem outside."

"Right." Prishe glared at the brunet. "Squall, do something. You're responsible for this mess."

Squall scrunched his eyes in pain before pushing his pounding head to the back of his mind. "Manikins…?"

"Right. And they're after you, for some reason."

The debilitated mercenary thought about the monk's words, already drawing his suspicions before filing that thought for later.

"So? What do we do?"

"Prishe!" Aerith once more spoke admonishingly. "Squall just woke up. He needs his rest!"

"Well, he can rest when he's _dead_." There was a dangerous intonation in that last word.

Squall suppressed a wince. He had a _lot_ of explaining to do, it seemed, and even more catching up.

_Just another thing to add to the to-do list._ He thought to himself. _Shiva…is everyone there?_

_**We're all ready, contractor.**_ Shiva's confident voice returned.

_Good._ His eyes flashed with an idea, something Prishe and Aerith noticed as his spirit seemed to lift. "Is your… hideout… still there?"

"Somehow." Prishe folded her arms. "Got something planned?"

Squall nodded his head weakly. "Hit me… with a _Raise_."

Aerith pursed her lips. "That's only temporary, Squall. You still need your rest."

"Serious...?" Squall responded with a piercing stare at the flower girl. "Rest… later."

"Prishe, help me out here!"

"Right." Prishe nodded her head. "I know that spell, too."

"That's not what I meant!" Aerith raised her voice. "Squall's not in the clear yet! He can still die!"

"M'… fine…" Squall slurred, trying to blink the fog from his mind. "Hit me…"

Aerith looked at the monk pleadingly. "Prishe…"

The purple haired girl merely shook her head and spoke with clear certainty. "You asked me to trust in Squall before, right Aerith? Well, I need you to trust in him, too."

"I… fine." Aerith placed her hands on the man's chest and back, helping him stand up slowly. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Squall."

The mercenary forced his breathing to even. "I… do."

"We're still not even, _Squall_." Prishe flanked his other side, helping Aerith stabilize the tall warrior's posture. She glared up at him. "I still _haven't_ forgiven your stupidity."

"Pressing matters." Squall tilted his head at the opening of the cave, and for a moment the two women thought he was going to black out until his slurred speech came. "Sort out… later."

"Later." Prishe nodded. "Ready."

"I _still_ don't think this is a good idea but..." Aerith bit her lip before her hands glowed with her healing magick. "..._Raise_."

Squall could instantly feel the effects of the spell, feeling his body suddenly become lighter as his heart pumped loudly, the adrenaline surge forcing his arteries open and making him more alert.

_Ready?_

_**Let me run. **_A raspy voice filled with anticipation replied.

"Come out, _Doomtrain_!"

Aerith's free hand flew to her mouth as Prishe cheered maniacally as they heard the ominous whistle that heralded the appearance of the poisonous ghost train outside the cave.

The manikins never knew what hit them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Kudos to Alexlayer for successfully deducing what I had in mind for Shiva (among other things xD). The clues I've been dropping are slowly falling into place, eh? I had to reveal Artemis earlier than expected though, since my carelessness spoiled it for Alex D: I'd also like to point you all to his DA page, where he's created a rather tasty Squall/Prishe for all our viewing pleasure :)

As it turns out, Sage and Basil have antihistamine properties, the ingredient themselves being nonselective and thus can antagonise h3-receptors in your brain, inducing _sleep_. Sneaky Squall can be very sneaky. I had Prishe ingest a large amount since I have no clue about the potency of the active ingredient.

Regarding SCE, I apologise for not posting the theme 21 yet. As there was a tie in the votes before, I had planned on making oneshots depicting Squall, Lightning, and the ones in the tie. I've started writing two of them, but Christmas came and I realized that I actually don't have enough time to write the others, even =S…

Again, I extend my sincere apologies to you, dear readers.

I will endeavor to post theme 21 soon.

On another note, I've recently acquired my copy of FFXIII-2's OST. It's alrightish, I guess, though I prefer XIII's OST than this. FFXIII-2 has this 'mysterious fantasy' theme to it, though I think I prefer Xenoblade's tracks which have the same theme (since each track in Xenoblade seems to have its own theme…what a chaotic OST!). Try youtubing "Sator, Phosphorescent Land / Night" to hear what I mean. As an OST though, FFXIII-2 isn't half-bad if you're into slow, dramatic music with assorted chants as voice-overs.

I do have to laugh though even if this is nitpicking on my part; FFXIII-2 _might_ actually be a great game (look at how well-received it is by Japan) but the fact that these characters were based from FFXIII may pull the experience down for me. I mean, and note that this is _my_ opinion, Square Enix could have just changed the character's names, put in the extra cash (lulz as if a company would do this) to change the character's appearance, and release it as its own FF game.

And don't get me started on the _Historia Crux System_…

Ahem. Rant ends here! o/

_**Edit 14/01/2012: **_Chapter 11, done! Admittedly not my best, and still haven't proofread but meh =S I hope this was still an enjoyable read, and again thank you everyone for your patience!


	12. Chapter 12: Scars of Leftover Memories

**A/N:** Thanks for the support, everyone! Lightning's segments in this chapter are snippets from Duodecim, with a few of my twists added to the mix. With this, at least Dissidia players will know whereabouts in the story we are already.

* * *

><p>Having caught up with Tifa, Lightning once more took the lead as her group sprinted through the underground cavern. Their pace was light but not less alert than when the ambush started; it seemed Vaan <em>was<em> able to buy them time, how little it may be, and they planned to conserve their strength instead of running until their legs couldn't run anymore.

Lightning had dropped her annoyance with the boy's recklessness, choosing not to dwell on the subject any further. She knew the strength of the magicks the sky pirate had wielded; whether he knew it or not, Vaan had the potential to bring the cave they had taken refuge in down on their heads, what with the untamed nature of his _Quickenings_.

If it had been up to Lightning, she would have just plowed ahead to get as much distance between her person and the manikins as possible; she hadn't had a clue _why_ her companions felt the need to pause and think.

"What… what are those things! ?" Vaan gasped out, drawing everyone's attention towards him.

"Hmph…" Laguna hummed thoughtfully as he pondered the boy's question. The sky pirate obviously was talking about the manikins, so he decided to voice his own observations with a clueless shrug. "They look like carbon copies of us, to me."

Vaan's brow twitched. "Thanks for the inside perspective."

"This is getting us nowhere." Tifa chimed in with worry, staring between the two males. "They just keep coming and coming!"

The martial artist's words caused Laguna to press his knuckles against his lips and Vaan to rest his arms behind his head, both warriors pondering their options.

"Manikins…" their attention was drawn to Lightning's somber tone as she continued gazing ahead, keeping watch as their vanguard. "A never-ending pool of reinforcements."

The strawberry blonde let out an annoyed breath. "What good is having Cosmos' power, if we can't even make it out of here to use it?"

Her words seemed to have an instant effect on the rest of her comrades as they glanced at each other worriedly.

They didn't have to think long for a condescending voice decided to barge in.

"Well, well…" The gathered Warriors of Cosmos looked up in alarm as the forms of Kuja and Kefka blurred into existence above them. "If it isn't Cosmos' warriors, marching straight into my arms of their own accord!"

"Been a while since we've seen anything but puppets." Lightning's eyes darted between the two mages, assessing the situation.

"Really~?" The clown mage leered gleefully. "Could it be you're… out of steam~? Oh you poor dears." He shook his head with mock-pity before his eyes suddenly gleamed dangerously. "I mean, turn around! You still have more manikins waiting for a chance to play~!"

"Oh no." Vaan whispered disbelievingly- he thought his miniature cave-in would buy them more time than this!- and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "Not again!"

True enough, whatever time Vaan had managed to buy was indeed short as they were able to make out specks of shimmering crystal figures growing increasing larger as they sped towards them.

Quickly making her mind, Lightning strode towards the Warriors of Chaos determinedly. "I'll take care of these. You guys deal with the others behind us." She drew her gunblade and fell into her usual stance. "Do _not_ let them surround you!"

Not one to falter even in the face of insurmountable odds, Laguna nodded his head reassuringly. "Yes, ma'am!" He pressed his palm against his chest with a slight bow. "You just leave your escape route to me!"

"Light…" Tifa clenched her fists, her red eyes brimming with worry over her companion. "If things look bad, get out."

Laguna nodded before he lead the party out, Tifa following the man shortly.

The sky pirate spared a serious look at the woman before nodding his head and speaking truthfully. "I… won't laugh if you run, Light."

And with that, the sandy-haired teen chased after Laguna and Tifa.

Above her, Kefka shuffled his feet towards Kuja before leaning forward to speak beside his ear.

"Well, Kujie-coo…" the clown mage threw his hands up in the air theatrically before pointing a finger at the silver-haired genome. "It looks like now's the time for _you_ to show us what you can do." Seeing the genome lean away from him, Kefka quickly shifted into Kuja's line of sight to whisper suggestively. "There's only one of them too, you know~?" He wagged his eyebrows. "This is your chance to shine!"

Kuja's brows knitted together as he felt his patience thin. "Will you not stop talking?" the genome began walking away from the mage, pressing his hand against his head just as Kefka pranced beside him giddily. "It gives me a headache every time you open that mouth of yours."

Ignoring the genome's whining, Kefka thrust his face into Kuja's personal space impatiently.

"NOW! ?"

A wry sigh escaped Kuja's lips before a confident smirk stretch across his face. "I do not take orders or cues from you, Kefka." He eyed the pink-haired woman beneath him. "I will engage them when I choose, and how I choose."

Lightning continued studying the clowns in front of her.

"Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, whatever," Kefka waved Kuja's proclamation dismissively as he rounded the man with a pauper's steps. "I'll, just watch you do your thing, okay? Just get on with the showing-me-that-you-can-actually-put-up-a-fight part already!" The clown mage threw his hands up in exasperation before suddenly tilting his head to the genome with an expectant grin.

Kuja rotated his arm as he opened his eyes to stare pityingly at the lone Warrior of Cosmos.

"Lightning with no sky in which to hide…" he approached the cliff's ledge with open arms. "No choice now but to fulfill your destiny… and fall."

The silver-haired genome leapt off the ledge to float above the woman, white spheres of magick twirling around him with deadly beauty. "So ephemeral, Lightning."

Lightning's eyes narrowed with hawk-like intensity, her body tensing in anticipation for the mage's onslaught.

"Oh I'll show you _how_ lightning strikes."

* * *

><p>"Really, what the <em>hell<em> were you thinking?" Prishe spoke, jabbing a finger at the immobile man's forehead. "Drugging me like that? Just because _I_ can make my own decisions? Who gave _you_ the right to stop me, huh?"

Aerith looked on at the two old friends with dully. "Prishe…"

The Elvaan continued on with her tirade, waving one hand in careless circles before running it through her purple locks. "I mean, sure, you have your own reasons, but can you blame me for not agreeing with _your_ self-sacrificing stupidity? Are you that much of a child to resort to drugging _me_- ME!- just to have your way instead of talking it out like good adults?"

Aerith folded the pieces of paper in her hands and pocketed them and tried to call the monk's attention again. "_Prishe_…"

"Now I _can't_ trust your cooking anymore! So there goes your _only_ good point! You happy now?" the immortal pushed off her seat to lean over before the seated brunet, both hands on her hips as she continued loudly. "You're finally _just_ another poser with a belt fetish! Stupid pretty-boy!"

"Prishe!" Aerith placed a firm hand on the shorter girl's shoulders.

Curious blue eyes peeked over her shoulder towards the flower girl. "What?"

An exhausted sigh left Aerith's lips at the monk's innocent tone, a complete turnaround from her earlier boisterous ranting. "You _do_ realize that Squall _can't_ reply, right?" Her emerald gaze crossed paths with the SeeD's dull blues, as if he was staring at something beyond both of them. "You said so yourself; Squall can't move while his summon is out."

"**We prefer the term 'Guardian Forces' or Guardians."** A raspy voice sounded from all around them.

"Oh, sorry." Aerith apologized sincerely as she gazed at the carriage's ceiling.

"**It is alright."** For some reason, they felt like Doomtrain nodded his head… somehow.

"Well, duh, of course I do!" A wide grin stretched across the Elvaan's face as she addressed the flower girl's question. "Why do you think I've been ranting at Squall ever since we got in here?"

Aerith palmed her forehead at her friend's reasoning.

Prishe's grin widened even further, a feat Aerith didn't think was possible until it happened. "Though, this _doesn't_ mean that I wouldn't be letting him have it if he _could_ speak; it's just that, this way, I can _really_ cut loose!" She cackled madly before thrusting a triumphant finger at Squall's prone form. "You can't run away from me Squall! You've had this coming for a while now, so clean your ears and sit your ass down because the mighty Prishe is here to knock some sense into that block you call a head!"

"**Ah,"** Doomtrain suddenly cut in thoughtfully. **"My Conductor bids me to say 'Shut it, midget'."**

The Elvaan spun around indignantly before she realized that the poison-train was not at fault, and promptly started a glaring contest with Squall's glazed stare; if she squinted harder, she could probably make out the challenging twinkle in his blue irises.

The man continued to stare impassively.

"Bah, spoilsport." The monk huffed as she folded her arms; she couldn't win with Squall being immobile, so she satisfied herself with blowing cold winds into his open eyes, a mischievous grin curling on her lips when his eyes started to redden and water.

Again, Doomtrain's raspy monotone echoed through the carriage.

"**My Conductor also says, 'stop that'."**

"Well, I won't stop until he tells me himself! So there!"

Despite her words, Prishe did indeed stop trying to dry the man's open eyes as she resumed her ranting, this time attacking the man's fashion sense.

"This has also been bothering me since forever! What's with your half-skirt thingy, eh? It's not like you can hide your gunblade there!"

Aerith, who had realize that it was pointless to get between a rowdy Prishe and her long-awaited reunion with the dark mercenary, had decided to just sit back and find amusement in the spectacle.

It was a nice change of pace from the constant fruitless searches she and the Elvaan had embarked on, and, now that Aerith had stopped thinking deeply, the flower girl realized that, for the first time since they met- or met again, in Prishe's case- the Elvaan wasn't brewing in her self-depreciating stew.

This really was a nice change of pace, Aerith thought to herself, even if she felt that some of the phrases that Prishe dished out _were_ quite rude.

"And another thing; that scar? Ugh! Did you run into a tree or something? Hot milk exploded on your face? You never did tell me about _how_ you got that _thing_ on your mug!"

"**My Conductor wishes to comment on your choice of clothing, too, since 'wearing a top that conservative does not make sense with shorts **_**that**_** short and tight'."** There was a brief pause before the ghost train continued. **"Ah, my apologies. I was not supposed to say the last part. 'Your ears are distracting, midget'."**

Prishe's hands flew up to cover her ears as she gaped at Squall in shock. "You're not allowed to touch them!"

It was at this point that Aerith had to suppress a chuckle.

"**Ah, my Conductor requires another **_**Raise**_**."**

Quick as a heartbeat, Prishe was by Squall's side, her blue eyes shimmering with thinly-veiled concern. "Huh, how many times has that been now?" She shrugged off that train of thought as her white magick gathered in her hands. "Well, get ready, Squall. _Healing magick, give this jerk strength, Rai-"_

"**Ah," **Doomtrain's wail interjected, halting Prishe's spell. **"Shiva believes this enough; my Conductor's body cannot handle any more despite his rather adamant protests."**

And like that, the mood suddenly darkened.

Aerith could see the self-consciousness in Prishe's wide-eyed stare as the Elvaan jumped back in shock, her butt crashing into the carriage's floor with an undignified smack. "Ah, eh what- why didn't you say so in the first place!"

"Prishe, calm down." The flower girl spoke soothingly as she helped the girl up before addressing the poisonous Guardian Force. "I take it that you shall be returning, then?"

"**Very astute. My Conductor does need his rest."** The ghost train explained.

That was understandable, given the nature the spell, _Raise_, which merely caused a large systemic release of adrenaline and a localized secretion of serotonin, among other stimulating substances, in effect 'waking up' a dying patient by up-regulating their heart rate temporarily and closing their wounds until they could receive better treatment. What Squall was suffering was hypovolemia, his numerous wounds from all his battles depleting his blood volume, and no amount of heart rate or blood pressure could pump blood out of his heart if there was nothing there in the first place, which is what was happening to the man.

Trying make his heart beat faster was like flogging a dead horse.

So, Squall just needed time to recover properly for the moment.

"Alright. Prishe, be _gentle_ when carrying Squall."

Prishe dusted her shorts with a low grumble of "I'm always gentle."

The Elvaan raised her arms and stretched her body taut like a bow, before exhaling deeply and walking over to the seated brunet. "C'mon princess; giddyup!"

Aerith's brow rose curiously when the monk sat between the mercenary's legs nonplussed, her back pressing against the much larger man's front so that his body was spooning her own, before she shook her head. For her part, Prishe wrapped the man's arms around her shoulders, settling her palms around his thighs to secure his legs in place.

"Ready." Prishe grinned, and not for the first time did Aerith smile warmly at the odd sight of such a small girl buried under the much larger man.

"I'm ready, too."

"**My Conductor wishes to remind you to discipline your hands." **The poison train spoke dutifully. **"Brace yourselves."**

Doomtrain resisted the urge to sound his trumpet as he screeched to a halt; it wouldn't do to alert any nearby foes to their presence. The paranormal embers that lighted his tracks snuffed out just as the wall beside his passengers opened, allowing the trio of warriors off the Guardian Force with nary but a final warning.

Aerith and Prishe looked around, identifying their location as somewhere in the Elven Snowfields just past the castle's ruins, south of the Order's Sanctuary, whose majestic silhouette they could see in the distant horizon across the waters. They made quite a good headway, all things considered, as the poison train had cleared nearly half the distance back from the Western Keep in Melmond Fens.

A cold breeze made the monk draw Squall's body closer around her frame.

"**Shiva wants to remind you to watch over my Conductor."**

"Sheesh, is she bossy or what?"

Aerith shook her head with a helpless smile at the monk's attitude before she addressed the train.

"Thank you very much for your help. You've been most kind."

A wide smile formed on the train's head.

It sent a chill down Prishe's spine that made her almost drop her baggage.

"**It was my pleasure, even though this is the first time I have been used for mere transport."**

"Hey! Doomtrain!" Prishe bellowed loudly, drawing its full attention. "It was fun even though you've got a creepy smile!"

"**Farewell."**

With that one word, the ghost train faded away.

The flower girl straightened her skirt before giving a cheerful smile at her companion. "Well, shall we get moving?"

"O-oh!" Prishe nodded quickly, looking a bit flustered compared to the shameless loudmouth hollering in the Guardian Force's carriage. "Yeah… let's."

Aerith blinked curiously at the girl's tone before realization dawned on her when she caught the uncertain peek Prishe's eyes shot at the man she was carrying. If she had to guess, Aerith would say that Doomtrain's departure had once more opened up a new can of Prishe's doubts, as the monk's back-and-forth banter with the ghost train was the Elvaan immortal's physical reassurance of the mercenary's health, and so the woman in pink approached closer to the duo with gentle steps.

"He's fine, Prishe."

"A-ahhh… huh?" The monk looked up at her with a helplessly confused expression.

"Of course…" Squall decided to croak in. "I'm… fine."

As if Squall's hoarse input was a _Raise_ spell of its own, Prishe's life suddenly returned.

"Who asked you? !" Blue eyes glared to her side at the brunet resting his head on her shoulder. "You rest now, got it?"

"I can't when… keep shouting… 'dget." Squall mumbled weakly. "G'nna hit… if you shout 'gen."

Hyne, the blood loss was really getting to him. His head felt so light as if there was nothing there above his shoulders, and it didn't help that the Elvaan girl was as loud as they came…

…and as loud as he remembered.

"Hmph, I'll drop you if you do!" She taunted loudly, and Aerith took a step back as she foresaw where this was going.

Annoyed at the Elvaan's incessant gloating- he _did_ just have to mutely live through a dressing down by the irritating midget on top of _this_- Squall focused all his strength to raise his head off her shoulder before thrusting it sideways, smacking his temple against hers defiantly. Despite lacking in strength, it was still enough to stun the monk, making her stumble a bit to regain her footing before the reality of the man's audacity dawned on her and she glared hard as if trying to lobotomize the man with her eyes.

"Oh, you bastard!" She roared loudly, catching a glimpse of the small, triumphant smile on the brunet's lips. "I warned you!"

Aerith winced when Prishe retaliated, promptly smacking her temple without hesitation against the man's own with an audible crunch. "You blockheads…" The flower girl muttered to herself disbelievingly with a shake of her head.

"Hah! Dropped! Dropped like the meat bag you are!" The monk gloated as she marched forward, traversing the snowy plains with the footsteps of a returning king, not minding the fact that the brunet had offered no reply.

A tired breath left the flower girl's lips as she trailed after the two warriors.

Prishe had knocked him out.

* * *

><p>"<em>Squall, you can't be serious!" She slammed her hand against the desk in her anger, not caring as the papers that dictated her mission spilled out of its folder. "This is- what you're proposing is-"<em>

"_This is not a proposal, Quistis." Impassive blues stared straight into the blonde woman's own emotional orbs. "I have already garnered the approval of every country to proceed. This is an _order_."_

_Quistis stared at him in shock. "This- you want us to abduct innocent women from their homes and drag them to a containment cell!"_

"_Sorceresses, Quistis." His voice was neither cold nor calculating, but neither was it warm; it was lacking in any feeling and emotion, and it made the former Instructor wince. "SeeD are to gather every woman classified as a Sorceress and transport them to the Deep Sea Research Center, renamed the Keep, where they will remain indefinitely or until their powers are passed on."_

_A pained look crossed the woman's features and she pleaded with the SeeD Commander. "Did the other countries pressure you into this? Squall, this is a complete disregard of the basic rights every individual should be given! These women have families- they're daughters, mothers, or even grandmothers!"_

"_You misunderstand, Quistis." Again with the formal tone and for the first time in her life she did not want to hear the man's voice. "I was the one that proposed this course of action to the other states. As you are aware, the prejudice against Sorceresses is getting increasingly more violent, and if we are not swift and decisive in handling this situation, another town will be wiped out."_

_Her blue eyes stared at him ruefully. "This is about Rinoa, isn't it?"_

_Quistis' first instinct was to regret her words when Squall's clinical gaze dimmed with sadness, but the blonde woman knew that she needed to do whatever it took to make her friend see reason, and so she squashed whatever measure of guilt welled up inside of her as she continued reaching out to the brunet._

_Squall's eyelids pressed shut as he remembered the young Sorceress' tragedy._

"…_I would be lying if Rinoa's situation didn't have an effect on this decision." When his blue irises revealed themselves, and the former Elite Instructor breathed in a worried breath at the pained determination in his eyes. "With this, every Sorceress will find peace, and won't need to bother with finding a Knight to control their powers."_

"_You're denying them their lives, Squall." She grasped his gloved hand in her own. Her eyes crossed with his meaningfully as she beseeched him. "Don't do this. I know you're hurting; we all are. I know I can't fully understand what you're feeling right now, but please Squall, this isn't right. What happened to Rinoa was tragic, but dooming these people to a life of imprisonment just for possessing Hyne's curse is _not_ the solution to your anguish." A gentle hand cupped his cheek, drawing his stoic gaze into her worried own as she tried to reach out to the hollow man. "And what of Ellone? She shouldered Rinoa's burden; will you sentence her to the Keep, too?"_

"_Sis…" The twinge of regret in his voice made her heart stop. "She… volunteered to be the first. Sorceress Ellone is to be transported to the Keep in a week's time."_

_Quistis drew back as if scathed. "You can't be serious!"_

_But even as she spoke those words, the blonde woman could see the truth and grave seriousness in the man's somber posture._

"_I shall be departing for the remains of Winhill tonight. You and everyone else are welcome to join me. I am granting you all a week's leave."_

"… _Laguna and Matron would never consent to this."_

_Squall tilted his head to the side, gazing into the vast ocean forlornly. "It is not their decision to make."_

_The clinical words he spoke caused her fists to shake in suppressed anger._

"… _I'm disgusted at you, Squall."_

_The brunet's gaze returned back in her direction, calm and collected as if there was nothing wrong._

"_So you are, SeeD Trepe."_

'Matron, Laguna, and now Quistis… how many more to go?' _Squall listed mentally. '_But this is fine. It's my fault- all my fault- for being selfish, and if this is the punishment for my sin, then it's fine.

Rinoa, wherever you are, are you watching me?

Are you disgusted, too?'

* * *

><p>They had been marching for the better part of the day.<p>

The problem with the fields of snow they were traversing was just that; it was a field, and there was no place to take refuge for the night or if a platoon of Squall-hunting manikins were to attack. It was fortunate for them that the skies were clear of snowfall. Nevertheless, Aerith and Prishe continued to pace their way and eventually made it to the foot of Mt. Gulg.

After settling in the cave at its base, Aerith and Prishe had settled their recovering companion down before the flower girl had kindly requested the Elvaan monk to go gather firewood and food while she kept watch over the brunet, reassuring the shorter girl with a warm wave that they would be alright.

The flower girl knelt before the man's head and, after throwing a cautionary look back to ensure that the monk was out of sight, reached out to the man's shoulder.

It didn't surprise her when his hand shot upwards to grasp hers tightly- or as tight as he could, anyway.

"So you were awake this whole time." Aerith pointed out in affirmation.

She had noticed that at some point in their journey, Squall had regained consciousness but chose to pretend to be asleep. Aerith had wanted to point it out to Prishe but held back since she felt there was something more to the young man's actions than simply ignoring the loudmouthed monk.

"…."

His grip on her hand loosened and was about to fall to his side when she clasped his hand in both her own.

"You're not fooling me by acting like this was just a reflex." She chided him knowingly. At his continued silence, Aerith leaned down to whisper against his ear warningly. "If you don't speak up, I _will_ tell Prishe that you're ignoring her. I'm sure you know full well how she'll react to that."

The flower girl was satisfied to see his eyes crack open with a glare as she drew back.

"What do you want?" He mumbled groggily at the rather persistent young woman.

"I just want to know why you're acting the way you are." She retreated from his personal space, but still knelt before the man, her hands now on her lap. "Aren't you delighted that you're reunited with Prishe?"

Though Squall's eyelids pressed against each other, Aerith wasn't worried that the man would resume ignoring her and thus waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts.

"...I'm not sure." He finally confessed.

A curious smile formed on her lips as she prodded him warmly. "Do you want to talk about it, Squall?"

"_No_." He shot back without missing a heartbeat.

Aerith giggled into her palm; he was every bit that Prishe had described him.

"Let me try again," She placed a hand on his cheek, drawing his eyes to meet with her imploring emeralds. "Tell me about it, Squall."

"…" '_I don't want to.'_

"Prishe… despite what she says and how she acts is very happy that you've returned to her." A gentle hand brushed his brown locks away from his eyes before it rejoined its pair on the flower girl's lap. "Do you want to know how Prishe and I met?"

"…" '_Not really, but I have a feeling you will be telling me anyway.' _Squall averted his gaze but offered no reply, and Aerith shifted her weight to prevent her legs from cramping up as she told the man her tale.

"I found her chained to the bottom of the sea when I was looking over a cliff." Aerith's lips curled in sad remembrance of how she had found the monk. Her emerald eyes trailed to the brunet's features and noticed his lips flat-line. It was her indication that the man was listening before she continued speaking. "I don't know how long she's been there or who sentenced her, but after rescuing her, do you know that you have been the only one she has been talking about?"

"…" '…'

"Prishe has been waiting for you all this time, Squall." She spoke more forcefully now, trying to get the man to open up to her. "And while I understand that you may have your own reasons for keeping silent, please understand that you're only hurting her even more by not speaking your mind."

"…"

"_Squall_…" She called his name pleadingly.

"…It's hard to explain this." He finally spoke, an annoyed edge in his hoarse whisper.

It was a start, and Aerith seized the opportunity, once more placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder as she peered warmly into his muddled eyes.

"Tell me."

Squall closed his eyes slowly as he formulated his thoughts before staring back at her seriously.

"… I feel disjointed." He admitted though not without some measure of reluctance; there was something in the young woman's sincere smile that made it hard to ignore her. "Just a day ago, I knew my directive." Squall's brows crossed when a wave of nausea hit him as he tried to recall what he felt at the time; it felt like a lifetime ago, and yet still there were vestiges of the compulsion to deliver swift retribution to the Time Sorceress' being ringing from within every muscle in his body. Seeing the pain in the man's visage, Aerith pressed her palm against his eyes soothingly as the man continued. "Now, with all these… memories I've reacquired, I'm having difficulty knowing _what_ to believe in."

"What do you mean?" There was a simple curiosity in her voice.

"My memories… tell me that _I_ know Prishe." He tapped her knuckles, wordlessly telling her to retrieve her hand as the brief twinge of vertigo that had attacked him had already subsided. "My body reacts to Prishe's presence as if I've known her all along, yet another part of me knows that it wasn't _me_ that knows Prishe. These memories feel like they came from a dream." His blue irises peeked at her from the corner of his eyes. "I'm not making any sense. Forget it."

"I think I understand." Aerith smiled sincerely with a nod of her head. "But do you know what, Squall?"

The brunet tilted his head in her direction, staring at her wonderingly.

The flower girl playfully tapped the tip of his nose. "I think you're overthinking this; your feelings, I mean."

_- Prishe flailed her arms at him before thrusting a finger at his nose. "You're thinking too hard, Squall! Just go with it!" –_

"I believe," Aerith's voice cut him out of his brief reminiscing. "that you should stop trying to analyze your feelings, and instead learn from your memories. Follow what you feel." She nodded her head to assure the both of them. "Was that not the point of your parting with Prishe; to gather more information?" A displeased frown from the flower girl made Squall blink uncomfortably as, for some reason, he felt guilty at the woman's accusation. "While I'm not happy at the choice you made, the past is done, and neither of us can change it. The important thing is what you're planning to do now."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two warriors when Squall realized that the brunette was waiting for him to speak up.

"…I-" _'Nothing has changed despite these new information. I'm- we're- all still stuck in this world. I guess I can ignore the witch, for now. If we do manage to get out, then I'll be satisfied with the knowledge that Ultimecia will be forever confined to this hell. Something will kill her eventually, and as she will be stuck in this world… she shall suffer for all eternity, for she has no one to pass on her powers to.' _"-I shall find a way for everyone to be free of this world." Feeling her emerald gaze boring into him, Squall added as an afterthought. "And interact with Prishe more."

A pleased smile blossomed on the brunette's face.

'_I guess this could be a possible cause for Kain's actions.' _Squall thought as he remembered his encounter with the Dragoon_. 'I wonder though... who told him the true nature of this war?'_

He remembered the odd way in which the Dragoon had tirelessly tried to subdue him, and the regret in the older warrior's voice with each wound he had inflicted. One thing was for certain, however; Kain wouldn't outright _kill_ any of his comrades, and so the armored Dragoon had to have a safe place where he kept their incapacitated bodies. Squall needed to find the man, and force the answer out of him one way or another.

It was a chore, but the professional side of Squall realized that he _couldn't_ overcome this hurdle with just him, Prishe, and Aerith, especially now that the crystalline army of Manikins had descended into the battlefield.

As if the Warriors of Chaos weren't enough trouble.

'_Nevertheless, everyone needs to be made aware of this situation.'_ He briefly entertained how Lightning would react to the news. From his brief companionship with the strawberry blonde soldier, he could easily imagine her blowing up at Cosmos. _'On second thought….'_

'**Contractor- Squall,' **Shiva's meaningful call cut in. **'You must convince them **_**all**_** of this situation **_**without**_** exemption.'** His loyal Guardian Force stressed. **'If you do not, then they will all head off to their deaths. Just like last time.'**

Loathe as he was to admit, Shiva was right. The Warriors of Cosmos- or those that hadn't succumbed to Kain Highwind's plotting yet- were currently traversing the realm in search of the power Cosmos spoke of that would turn the tides of battle in their favor. However, seeking power merely to end Chaos _wasn't_ going to help them out of this world.

Though perhaps… they would be able to barter their way out? Cosmos hadn't made clear yet _what_ her blessing was, nor what it could do.

He needed more information before he could decide.

And presently, there also was the matter of Cosmos' crystals that needed to be found.

Squall groaned as the possibilities and permutations made his head spin.

Once again, Aerith's gentle caress drew him out of his thinking and he found the flower girl frowning disapprovingly at him.

"You can think about those thoughts later, Squall." She chided him once more. "You should rest now and gather your strength."

"…"

'**She speaks correctly, contractor.'** Shiva soothed.

'_I know, but I can't rest any longer than I have.'_ He had been immobile for more than a day and his body was aching for him to do _something_.

"Aerith." He rasped out, and his eyes widened slightly when the flower girl helped him to sit as she pressed the bottle of water against his lips, allowing his dry throat some relief. With a slight nod of gratitude, Squall continued. "… Have you and Prishe discovered anything new?"

Emerald eyes blinked with a hint of disapproval before reluctantly helping the man to lean his back against the cave's cold wall; it seemed that she couldn't boss him to rest. She supposed that, he _did_ spend quite a lot of time unconscious.

"We found these notes in an abandoned lab." Aerith brought out the pieces of paper she had been studying. "The writing is faded though, so I've had problems understanding what's written."

Squall's eyelids shut as he leaned his head back against the cool rock. "Tell me what you've gathered."

With an affirming nod of her head, Aerith told the man what she knew.

It wasn't long before Prishe had arrived with food in her arms and her usual flare of energy- one that grew in boisterous intensity when she realized that Squall was awake.

* * *

><p>He needed to hurry.<p>

He could recall the exact time he had been dragged into this world with anguished clarity.

He had been doing his job as the deliverer of souls, taking them to a world where magick had no power on, for mages and other such practitioners had begun to bastardize the value of life, even going so far as to resurrect the dead.

The process of resurrection was an impure one, for only gods could create new souls no matter how hard mortals tried. And yet, instead of allowing the departed to rest in peace, the arrogance of mortals had driven them to climb the mountain to godhood, and thus drew the souls of the dead back and tied them to their flesh.

The mortals had not understood that a soul and a body was not enough to call one a living thing.

And thus, it was no wonder that the resurrected were imperfect, their souls shattered as much as their bodies.

And so the gods had created him- the chariot that sheltered fleshless souls and sequestered them away from any mortal interference, so that they may be granted a peaceful reprieve until such time when the gods would call them back.

For centuries since he had been created, he had performed his job faithfully- the sound of his whistle and the roar of his engine harbingers of his arrival.

It was on one such journey, which started not unlike usual, when he had been dragged by a young hatchling of a dragon, thirsty and curious, and brought to a new world…

…and experienced his ultimate failure.

"_Have a taste, Shinryu." A wizened voice beckoned the hatchling, calculating and prodding._

_He couldn't pinpoint where it came from, but in it didn't matter. Alarm ran through his metal shell as the dragon, Shinryu, leveled with him a predatory gaze._

"_**No stop; unhand me!"**__ He screamed and fired his engine, backpedaling its wheels to get away from the dragon's grasp. "__**Can you not see I have a job to do? ! I am the transporter of souls!**__"_

"_Yes, so you are." That same voice commented in disinterest. "Now, Shinryu, have a taste."_

_The dragon bared its teeth before bellowing a mighty roar._

_And despite the intensity of the dragon's roar, it could not drown out the agonized wails his passengers as they were eaten by the hatchling of a god._

"_**No! Stop! Please!"**__ he pleaded on deaf ears._

_An eternity seemed to extend within those scant seconds as he felt every soul onboard slip away from his carriages only to be consumed by the glutton before, at last, he had no more soul to give._

_Shinryu snarled when he realized that the ferryman had no more souls to offer. It raised its mighty claw before slamming it downwards, rending him in half. Finding naught a morsel of the delicious treat, Shinryu carelessly tossed the broken train aside._

"_Now, Shinryu, do you see?" He heard the bastard call out. "Those were but common souls; weak and ordinary. If you help me with my plan, if you fulfill your end of the bargain, I can grant you a limitless supply of much stronger specimens." The unknown speaker spoke silkily, every word acrid to his metal frame. "Do we have a deal, Shinryu?"_

_The silver dragon's eager roar was the last thing he could remember of that time._

Several wars had passed since then- he could feel new, stronger souls entering the realm only to eventually perish as mortals did and be consumed by the gluttonous dragon- and he bid his time recovering, feeling the pain of each anguished soul with each of Shinryu's meals. As soon as he regained a bit of functionality, he had attempted to flee this wretched realm, only to be halted by what he could only describe as a _dimensional wall_, and had since then been trapped in this world.

If he would be trapped in this world, then he would do his hardest to protect each soul, but not out of duty; he wanted to deny the dragon of his meal out of spite. Yet, each time he had attempted to harvest a soul, the dragon had beaten him to it.

It was only recently when he realized that he could actually feel when a mortal was approaching its death, for initially he had been aimlessly traversing his world and souls would approach him at the sound of his _diabolic whistle_.

And so, he _had_ to hurry.

Every bolt and screw in his metal frame tingled with the presence of a dying soul; a mortal that was so close to death and being harvested by the dragon god.

The mortal's health was pitifully weakened at one point, so much so that it had been on the narrow border between life and death, and thus he sounded his whistle and fired his engine and raced towards it. His engines roared when the soul had suddenly began to move, and again when the soul started to recover; he knew he had to hurry or no soul could be harvested.

So the Phantom Train raced across the marsh and traversed through the forest, heading for the snowfields in the distance where he sensed the wounded mortal stop.

He would get that soul before Shinryu could.

* * *

><p>"Hm-hm-hm-hm~ " Kefka hummed a victory theme for the victorious genome. "Bravo! Excellent! Well done and all those other encouraging cheers!" The clown mage's coattails billowed with the breeze as he floated down to where the silver-haired mage stood. "You have proven to yourself that you completely lack brass spheres where it counts, Kujie-coo~! Bravo!"<p>

Kuja raised a delicate brow at the clown. "I have driven off that pink-haired dog, Kefka, with no thanks to you. I see you've done well on the sidelines."

"Kujie, your show may have been flashy, but it lacked substance!" He thrust his hands up in the air to emphasize his point. "And she had substance inside of her! And what was it again that you keep saying while you draw people in with those little marbles of yours?"

The clown mage suddenly drew his hands back and imitated Kuja's actions from earlier. "_You're not getting away! Scatter!_" He shook his head theatrically. "Well, guess what? Your dance partner just scattered and you didn't even give chase! Little girls all over the world will be jeering at you for not being a good prince charming and breaking her leg off to get that other glass slipper!"

"Kefka," the silver-haired genome pinched the bridge of his nose as he floated away from the clown mage. "I don't even know what you're on about anymore, nor have I ever really cared. Nevertheless, I _have_ proven my loyalty and driven off _yet another_ one of Cosmos' pawns _personally_. Accuse me all you wish, but at the end of the day, you have yet to score a victory while I have been forced to sully my hands with such mundane tests."

The genome flicked his hand dismissingly. "I don't care for your words and never had a reason to. Plot all you wish; I am done here. I shall return back to the _tower_."

With his back turned to the blond mage, Kuja couldn't see the dangerous gleam in Kefka's narrowed eyes as he disappeared.

"This didn't really go as planned but hey, that still was oh-so-very-very-fun, so I'll let things slide for now. Just watch yourself, Kujie-coo. Papa Kefka still has his eyes on _you_."

* * *

><p>Squall's brow twitched in annoyance as Aerith excused herself, calling first watch at the cave's entrance and leaving him and Prishe alone. His suspicions were only confirmed when the flower girl threw him a meaningful look before patting her pink skirt and making her way.<p>

There was an awkward silence as Squall refused to look at the monk, and instead lowered his gaze to the sheet of paper Aerith had left him which highlighted observations about a being named 'Shinryu'.

'**She's watching you, Contractor.'** Shiva observed.

'_I know.'_ He replied from where he was slumped against the wall.

A brief pause, where slowly but surely, the monk was creeping towards him.

'**I believe she wants to converse.'**

'_I kno-'_

"What're you reading?" Prishe placed a hand beside his leg as he peered over the limb, blocking his view.

For a moment, Squall's mind raced with conflicting thoughts as he struggled to decide on how he should respond.

_- The flower girl playfully tapped the tip of his nose. "I think you're overthinking this; your feelings, I mean." -_

"They're the… notes you and Aerith retrieved." He explained evenly.

"Hmmm~ Lemme see!" Prishe pushed his legs apart before invading his comfort zone and tucking herself between them.

Once again, Squall's brow twitched in annoyance at the Elvaan's blatant disregard for personal space and hit bit back the scathing remark threatening to leave his mouth before shuffling backwards, digging his back deeper into the rocky wall in an effort to put at least some millimeter of distance between their bodies.

Squall craned his head backwards as he gazed at the ceiling, giving up on reading the notes Aerith had left him. His body felt too heavy at the moment, and he did not have the energy to shove the girl out of her spot. Blue eyes trailed to the Elvaan's crouched form, and even from behind he could tell that she was not actually trying to decipher the writing on the paper sprawled before her.

'…_Any moment now…'_ the mercenary thought in resigned anticipation. _'…in three… two… one-'_

"…Hey Squall." Prishe's unusually withdrawn voice cut in.

Steeling himself, Squall returned his gaze back up towards the stalactites dripping from the ceiling. "…yeah?"

"You really do remember me, right?"

Despite his usual inability to connect with people, Squall could actually hear the insecurity in her voice.

_**- **__"-please understand that you're only hurting her even more by not speaking your mind." -_

Prishe's ears twitched when she heard the man take a deep breath.

"No." The Elvaan immortal felt her heart sink. "I mean, not really."

"O-oh…" She knew this was going to happen. It always happened. Why did she believe _this_ time would be any different? She was the real idiot, not him!

"_Prishe_." Squall called her name forcefully, and Prishe suddenly realized that tears were gathering in her eyes.

The purple-haired girl fought down her aching chest and snapped back harshly. "_What_? !"

"I don't remember you, exactly." He told her bluntly and ignored the way her small hands balled into tight fists between her legs, nonplussed by the intensity of her shimmering eyes as he confessed the truth to her with utmost sincerity. "I can see glimpses of us in the previous cycle- previous _cycles_."

A dry huff left his lips. "You really are an impulsive midget."

"Shut up, ass." She shot back without thinking, rubbing at the corner of her eyes with her sleeve.

"In any case, I'll _eventually_ remember you entirely." The mercenary continued pointedly, ignoring the Elvaan's retort. "But in the meantime, I can help you. Again."

_- "Follow what you feel."-_

Squall mentally shrugged off Aerith's advice as he focused on the small girl before him and the situation he found himself in.

His brows furrowed. "I need to convince the other warriors too, though. And speak with Cosmos. We _can't_ have a repeat of last time."

But Prishe didn't hear any of his words beyond his willingness to travel with her again. Her eyes widened in elation.

"You're such… an idiot! Stupid Squall!" She threw her head over her shoulder and Squall's breath hitched when he took in her glistening eyes and pearly white smile. "I don't care about you not remembering me completely."

'_I'm just happy that you're still in there- still here, with me, my… friend.'_ She tried to convey to the man but the words were stuck in her throat so she settled with a goofy grin. Despite himself, Squall found her smile infections and his lips twitched upwards.

"Either way," He regained his hold on his rampant emotions. "I'm glad you're still alive."

Prishe shuffled her weight as she spun in place to kneel before the man, face-to-face, and gave a carefree shrug. "I feel like a broken record. I'm immortal, remember?"

"Hnn…" Aerith's story of how she met Prishe rang through his mind. _'Apart from the witch, I guess I've got another head to add to my list.'_

"Squall." The Elvaan immortal looked at him seriously and he knew what she was going to say next. "Did you find out anything after, you know…?"

He had already prepared himself for this, but even still, he found it hard to speak to the monk.

"I…" the mercenary grit his teeth before speaking clinically. "Nothing definite." He averted his gaze from the monk and pressed his eyelids shut tightly, feeling the every scathing sting of his failure throughout his body. He failed. Prishe suffered, and he failed. Squall could only continue his report hollowly, not thinking about the consequences of his words on the girl in front of him and prepared to take whatever punishment she'd dish out at his dismal failure. "Shiva and I have nothing. The most we found is that this cycle repeats itself when all the warriors summoned by Cosmos or, I presume Chaos, have been wiped out. I've also found Chaos' lair." Or at least, he could vaguely recall with Shiva's prompting a fiery throne in the heart of a floating volcano; it was where he had perished after all. "What about _you_?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what an irresponsible move he had just done- shifting the burden to the girl and no doubt making her relieve her moment of agony.

Unknown to him, Prishe was not thinking about any of that as she studied the brunet's anguished features. She knew she should have been mad- should be enraged, even- because the man had left her for nothing, but knew that she couldn't really blame him for trying and that it was just the instinct to lash out calling to her.

"I found something. Sort of." An uncertain light shimmered in her eyes. "It's what Aerith and I are investigating, actually. There was a bright golden light that illuminated these lands before the war restarted. And…" She held her elbows and Squall found that she suddenly looked much smaller than she was. "…it seems that defeating Chaos isn't the answer."

If a needle fell between them, it would no doubt have resounded like a bomb detonating.

"What…?"

"After you restarted the cycle, we- Cosmos' side managed to win." Prishe told him. "Well, we defeated Chaos, anyways." A small smirk stretched her lips. "Chaos got cocky and stormed the Sanctuary by himself. Needless to say, yours truly was there to help out."

Chaos had put up quite a fight. All of Cosmos' Warriors had struggled to contain the rampaging god of Discord as he tore through the Order's Sanctuary, trying to reach Cosmos with single-minded relentlessness. Prishe hadn't really thought why the beast was trying to reach the goddess- most likely to murder her, she guessed- at the time, but the immortal monk was only too eager to join in the skirmish. Eventually, Chaos had fallen to the combined might of every single warrior present, and with their task complete, they had promptly returned to their worlds.

Or so she thought.

Prishe hadn't been released from this world's clutches, and it seemed neither were the other warriors, for Aerith Gainsborough was once more called to fight in this cycle.

She grinned up at the man triumphantly, though her smile suddenly dimmed when she noticed that the mercenary was deep in thought.

"I see…"

'_This complicates things… maybe Cosmos knew that merely defeating Chaos would not end this war, and that's why she granted us her power?'_

"Hey Squall?" Prishe's voice, devoid of any of its previous gloating, called his attention once again. "Is something wrong?"

"No it's…" he studied her features in defeat. _'I found nothing and only ended up hurting her, while she was able to discover more information than me. You failed Rinoa, and now you've failed Prishe. You're pathetic, Leonhart.'_ "You're strong, Prishe."

'_Stronger than I ever could be.'_

Prishe's first instinct was to gloat, but seeing the weakness in Squall's normally stern eyes had stilled her impulsive tongue and caused her shoulders to sag. "I'm not that great."

Squall shook his head morosely. "You didn't fail, Prishe. And despite everything you've been through, you're still fighting on."

The Elvaan girl picked her ass off her ankles as she drew herself upwards, still kneeling, in one swift motion and squinted at the brunet's puzzled eyes suspiciously.

She then flicked his nose. "Alright, who are you and what have you done to Squall?"

"…" Squall glowered at her warningly.

Ignoring the man's heated gaze, she continued staring into his eyes and listed off truthfully. "The Squall _I_ know is a stubborn ass that doesn't know how to compliment _anybody_. If he has problems doing one thing, then he'd brood in a corner to work out _how_ he can do whatever, and _then_ do it. And _if_ he still fails, then he'd try again and again, because his head is _too_ thick to comprehend failure! So let me ask you again," Prishe drew closer to the brunet's face that their noses were touching. "what have you done to Squall?"

Ignoring the girl's proximity, Squall narrowed his eyes in irritation. "Fine, I get your point. Now get off me, midget. Your breath stinks."

"Hah!" she blew a raspberry at him as she withdrew. "Are you sure you weren't smelling your upper lip? Check yourself first before commenting on others!"

"Hmph." Squall once more rested his head against the cold wall, feeling much more relieved than he had ever been in a while.

Prishe took in a deep breath before exhaling loudly.

"There is one more thing though, Squall."

"…?" Blue eyes peered down at her questioningly.

"I haven't forgiven you yet, you know. For drugging me and stuff." The monk absently ran a hand downwards against the purple strands framing her face.

Again, Squall's brow twitched in annoyance. "I told you; I'm _not_ apologizing."

"Don't. Really. Care." She flicked her silky strands with a small huff. "However, I _suppose_ I can forgive you if you lend me your jacket."

"…" '_What?'_

"In case you haven't noticed, it's freaking cold here. 'Elven Snowfields', and all." She glared at him pointedly. "And I spent a _lot_ of time outside gathering food for your weakly self. The least you could do is lend me some warmth."

Squall sighed in defeat. "Fine. But you'll have to take it yourself." He leaned his head back. "I'm too tired to move."

"Ah, that takes too much effort." Prishe whined with a pout as she crossed her arms. "Hmm…I guess I can do this instead."

Faster than he could react, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso as they dug under his jacket, and felt Prishe's cheek press against his chest, making his heart unconsciously race.

"What the- Prishe?"

"Haha, your heart's racing!" her mocking reply came.

Squall had to wonder if the sudden rise in temperature was because of him or her.

Away from his searching gaze, a flustered Prishe grinned in triumph. "Could it be that my presence has charmed even you?"

"That's not-"

"Well, you're a hundred years _too_ early to even _think_ about courting me, boy!"

The mercenary dropped his chin on the crown of her purple head.

Hard.

"…Whatever, you old hag."

He didn't even have the strength to shove the uncannily strong young woman's grip, anyway, and so he gave up trying to.

"Hmph." She huffed, but made no inclination to move away and instead buried her face deeper against his scent before mumbling inaudibly against his white shirt.

"...I'm glad you're back."

* * *

><p>Lightning cautiously looked around the dark, turbulent skies from atop the Old Chaos Shrine, having recovered from her ordeal against the silver-haired reaper.<p>

It was a huge blow to her pride that she had been forced to retreat, but Lightning knew that dying by Kuja's hands _wouldn't_ solve anything. She angrily realized that the blond-haired Warrior of Chaos, Cloud if she remembered his name correctly, was right when he said that they were merely testing her when she had fought them, then.

The reality of their true strength had ripped through her spirit; Kuja had laid waste to their battlefield as he tore through her defense and overpowered her offense, and it was only by her quick thinking that she had managed to trick the perpetually flying genome and make a hasty escape, all the while Kefka had stood grinning and jeering from the sidelines.

Between the manikin's numbers and Chaos' Warriors, the future was becoming more and more bleak to her eyes.

She could only hope that whatever blessing Cosmos had given them would, once their crystals took form, be worth it.

A speck of purple in the distance caught her eye and she cautiously approached it before stopping in surprise when she recognized who it was.

'_Isn't that-'_

She paced towards the Dragoon.

"Kain?" she called as she approached, drawing the man's attention from whatever he was staring at. She ignored the man's surprised breath as she came to a stop, glancing around for any signs of an ambush. "You made it out."

Lightning's blue eyes locked with the Dragoon's hidden orbs and questioned him worriedly. "What about the rest of 'em? Vaan, Tifa…?" Her eyes trailed to the side and widened when she comprehended what Kain had been staring at. "Bartz!" She gasped worriedly before running to the fallen wanderer. "Someone got him?"

"Yes." Kain gravely replied.

"Bartz, stay with us." She called out to the man, kneeling before him and quickly inspecting his wounds.

"Kain…" the half-conscious man mumbled in pain. "You… why did you…?"

'_Kain?' _Lightning blinked in confusion. "What-?"

Her instincts flared and she quickly rolled out of the way just as Kain brought his lance down on her.

'_KAIN!'_ her mind roared angrily as she stood behind the motionless Dragoon.

Lightning's blue eyes narrowed angrily, her fingers slowly inching towards her gunblade's hilt as the armored man calmly turned towards her, weapon held firmly in his hand.

"Forgive me. I've no choice."

He dashed towards her with blinding speed and Lightning quickly drew her weapon, her cold steel flashing angrily as she blocked the man's cleaving thrust.

"Kain?" She growled under her breath. "What are you doing! ?"

'_How many of our comrades have you stabbed in the back! ?'_

* * *

><p>"I guess it was too optimistic of us to think we'd be able to spend the night quietly?" Prishe commented as she slammed her fist into her palm and cracked her neck.<p>

"Teehee~ Are you angry that your bonding time with Squall was cut so short?" Aerith teased, her staff held in her hands.

"We weren't bonding! We were just talking about stuff; catching up, you know?"

Well, she was talking. Squall would merely give the occasional grunt.

"How many are there?" Squall's voice suddenly drew the two women's attention and they looked at him alarmingly.

"Squall!"

"Oi! You're supposed to be resting."

Indeed, Squall seemed to just barely be able to stand as he brandished his gunblade, resting it on one shoulder as he gripped the wall lining the cave's entrance for stability. Even under the limited light afforded by the twilight, it was clear to both women's eyes that Squall was still too pale to stand, much more fight properly.

"I'm fine." He braced himself before pushing off his crutch. "I can still fight."

"Don't make me drop you again!" Prishe pointed at him angrily. "I'm warning you; I will!"

Squall ignored the fuming Elvaan as he addressed the frowning flower girl. "Aerith, how many are there?"

"I'm not too sure." Aerith responded to the stubborn man. "I managed to subdue the small group that approached but it's only a matter of time before more will arrive."

The mercenary considered her words. "So it's better to vacate this cave then. I doubt Doomtrain will mind us riding on him again if it's to save our lives."

"No way!" Prishe crossed her arms defiantly, instantly rejecting Squall's proposal. "You need rest, damn it! We'll hold down the fort. I'm sure there aren't _that _many coming, anyways."

"It's better to err on the side of caution." Squall glared at her. "We're moving out."

"We're staying!" The monk once again thumped her fist against her palm, showing her readiness to fight however hard she needed to if it meant buying Squall time to recover.

"Calm down you two; we're not even _sure_ that manikins are going to attack." Aerith tried to placate their tempers before things escalated. "Squall, please be reasonable and rest. We'll handle this."

"No." Came his stubborn reply.

He was a SeeD- a _Commander_ of SeeD- and they were unrelenting mercenaries that achieved their mission objectives at all costs. They were an elite fighting force that continued fighting even if all their limbs were cut off in battle if it meant completing their mission.

And at this moment, Squall's mission was to ensure Prishe and Aerith's survival.

"We're going to retreat." The mercenary said with finality.

"No means no, Squall!" Prishe wouldn't give in, and Aerith was once more reminded of the parable of the unstoppable force and the immovable object, or in this case, the two blockheads of Prishe and Squall. "We're staying!"

A familiar whistle sounded into the night, making the gathered warrior's ears perk up.

Prishe snarled angrily as she rounded on the brunet. "What the _hell_ are you doing, Squall? ! _I'm_ not going to be healing you for this!"

"…That wasn't me." Squall's tone carried his disbelief that he was able to speak.

The man wondered if the shock that painted Aerith and Prishe's faces mirrored his own.

'_Doomtrain…?'_ Squall mentally called out to the ghost train.

'_**I'm still here, Conductor.'**_ The raspy reply did not hide the Guardian Force's disbelief.

"Wait, if that's not you, then who…?"

Aerith question was answered the next moment as a steam train comprised of only two carriages apart from the main car suddenly appeared before them.

And as if the appearance of a second ghost train wasn't enough to still their rapidly beating hearts, the mass of metal suddenly spoke.

"**I am here for the man."** The Phantom Train declared despite lacking any mouth, its front lights shining brightly on the disoriented Leonhart. **"I shall harvest his soul… no matter what it takes."**

The train's proclamation was enough to snap Prishe out of her shock at the new arrival.

She stomped her foot against the ground angrily as she firmly settled into her battle stance.

"Like _hell_ you are!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for all your patience, everyone, and thanks for those that reviewed _Trust_, _Oathkeeper_, _SCE_ and _Centerspace_.

On a completely unrelated note, lulz at what happened today. I suddenly received an email that my sister was following me on twitter… at which point I became befuddled.

"I have a twitter account? O_o"

Sure enough, I followed the link in my email and yes, I have a twitter account.

Which I forgot I had.

Cue epic brainfart.

Guess you really learn something new everyday ó_ò

Edit 23/02/2012: Chapter 12 done! Ha! For those curious, I wonder if you could deduce _where_ Prishe's hideout is, given the route I've laid out that the trio are travelling through. Proofreading when I get enough sleep. I wouldn't mind anybody pointing out mistakes though, and would appreciate the help greatly~


	13. Chapter 13: Howl of the Gathered

**_A/N: _**I hear Prishe is happy that she's garnered so much support. Lightning is very displeased, though, and is eager to make her comeback to wow her fans. Squall, on the other hand, is looking as clueless as ever... That schoolboy...

**_Edit26/06/2012:_** Chapter finally finished. More excerpts from Duodecim, so credits go to Squeenix. Also, from henceforth, I'll be using 'Famfrit' as the Cloud of Darkness' name.

* * *

><p><em>The girl smacked her lips together a few times to moisten the dried flesh before suddenly sitting upright, her back arching as she stretched her arms high above her head with a pleased squeal.<em>

"_Ah, wow! I sure needed that!" Prishe blinked her purple eyes open and looked about. "Whatever you cooked, Squally-boy, make sure you get my stomach some of that again!"_

_She looked to her other side._

"_Squall?" She strained her ears to listen for that familiar grunt._

_It never came._

_Maybe…he was scouting the perimeter again? She never really could fault him for it; she herself was guilty of running off to, ah, patrol the area, so to speak._

_Pushing herself to her feet, the Elvaan monk adjusted her peineta before throwing a self-confident grin. She'd find that bastard, as usual, then they could both figure out what to do now that they were the last of Cosmos' chosen._

_Prishe unconsciously wrapped her arms around her sides to suppress the sudden chilling coldness that wracked her body at bay._

_He…Squall wouldn't be so foolish as to leave her alone…_

…_right?_

* * *

><p>Silence descended after Prishe's vehement declaration at the metallic aggressor before Squall regained his wits.<p>

Squall's eyes immediately darted toward the feral Prishe. "Back to the cave!"

Aerith's head snapped towards him at his bark, but Prishe remained firm.

"You two retreat! I can take this!" Prishe growled out, her eyes remaining trained on the phantom before her.

This _thing_ wanted to harvest Squall's soul? _Just_ when they reunited? If anyone had the right to kill the scarred SeeD, it was _her_, and so she would _not_ allow anyone else that pleasure!

A shrill whistle came from the Phantom Train as it fired its engines angrily. "**I will not be denied!**"

"Bring it!" Prishe challenged as she suddenly took off into a predatory dash.

The Phantom Train sounded its whistle once more and charged forward at the foolish sack of flesh.

"Prishe, stop!"

"Damn it, Prishe!" Squall cursed as he attempted to give chase, only to stumble as another wave of vertigo struck his senses.

"Squall! Prishe!" Aerith shouted, eyes darting in both directions, unsure of whom to support. Throwing caution to the wind, the flower girl took off into a sprint after the speeding monk; she needed to rein the girl in so they could retreat back into the cave where the new arrival wouldn't be able to chase after them. Maybe then, they could figure out what exactly was going on. _'Another ghost train...!'_

Prishe's body crackled with energy just as she stomped her foot on the ground, causing it to implode under the sheer force from her leg, and thrust both her palms forward.

"Eat this!"

The effect was instantaneous, and it left the two warriors in awe as the head of the train crumbled inwards against the force of Prishe's double palm strike. The sound of metal creaking and twisting filling their ears as Squall and Aerith gaped when the diminutive girl abruptly stopped the Phantom Train in its tracks.

"**I will not yield!**" It yelled.

The Phantom Train hadn't felt a thing; he was merely a metal golem, after all. Though it knew it was damaged, there no longer were any souls in its carriages, and so it didn't care about the consequences. It had failed and continued to fail in its duty. If it died attempting to harvest just one dying soul, then so be it.

Its only regret was not being able to witness the god dragon fall.

"**Out of my way, whelp!**"

Squall and Aerith's awe was short-lived when the train swung its head to the side and throwing the monk away.

"Ugh!" Prishe grunted as she twisted herself in mid-air to skid to a stop on all fours.

The ghost train wasted no time as it pushed its engine to its limit, accelerating forward with the full intent to kill the scarred man personally.

"Aerith, look out!" Prishe warned as she sped after the train.

Aerith held no illusions that she could take on the locomotive head-on the same way Prishe did, and so she quickly jumped to the side, rolling on the ground to buffer her impact before stopping in a crouch, a spell already formed on her lips just as the train sped past her. She thrust her staff forward. "_Planet's embrace_!"

Squall shimmered gold just as the train slammed into him, knocking the SeeD into the cave. The Phantom Train hadn't fared as well as its target as it was much too big for the rocky entrance and instead slammed into the low ceiling, its lethal charged abruptly stopped by the unyielding mountain.

The Phantom Train blew its whistle in outrage.

"**Come out, meat!**"

It pulled back before slamming forward again, causing the cave to rumble against the impact.

"Oi, tin can!" A wild shout from above drew its attention, and the Phantom Train could see the purple haired monk from earlier rapdily descending upon him with both her fists raised above her head, brilliants wisps of energy spiraling around her extended leg like a drill. "You can't have him!"

Knowing better than to stay still and take the full brunt of her deceptively tiny frame again, the Phantom Train immediately pulled back. A crater formed on the ground when Prishe landed, now standing in between the soul farmer and the cave housing her injured friend.

"**Foolish sack of flesh!**" Prishe heard the train growl and she barely had time to cross her arms in front of her frame just as the metal monster retaliated swiftly before she could get into a stable stance, bashing into her; the train had planned this counter all along. "**Die, pest!**"

"Argh!" The Elvaan grunted as she was once more thrown backwards, only to crash against a familiar fur jacket. "Squall?"

"Where's Aerith?" Squall growled, steadying the two of them.

"She's still outside." Prishe replied reflexively before her brows creased when she caught the glimmer of light reflecting off the gunblade in his hand. The monk immediately snapped. "Oi! You're not supposed to fight! I can handle this!"

"You're doing a _swell_ job, too." He grunted in irritation. Prishe opened her mouth to retort when Squall continued. "Look, we _need_ to get out of here. Fast."

Scenario after scenario raced through Squall's head as he tried to formulate their survival.

"If we stay in here, chances are that _thing_ will cause the mountain to crumble down on top of us." He pointed out, pushing Prishe away from him. The ground shook again as if to emphasize his point. "And though you seem to be relishing this all out brawl with a _train_, I need you to focus. You can mess around with Doomtrain _later._"

'**_I must protest against that suggestion, Conductor._'** The Guardian Force whined.

Squall duly ignored the poison train's plea in favor of the threat at hand.

"**Come out, flesh sack! You're only delaying the inevitable!**"

Squall squinted at the cave's entrance. "At least we know Aerith's okay. Whatever this thing is, it's after _me_."

Prishe blinked slowly as his words registered before snapping a glare at the taller warrior. "Alright Squall, riddle me this: why the _hell_ do you have a psychotic _train_ after your miserable ass? Did you spike its oil or something?"

"…"

"**Your efforts are futile. I will not be denied his soul!**" The Phantom Train bellowed, and Squall guessed he was talking about Aerith.

"Thought so. You're always causing trouble wherever you go!" Prishe sighed wearily as she scratched the back of her head, ignoring the Phantom Train's ranting; Aerith would be safe, for now, what with the fact that she was standing next to the obsessed locomotive's target. "Man, you owe me big after this! Hope my fishing spot's still there; I demand a feast for all this trouble,-" She thrust an accusing finger at him. "-you troublemaker!"

Squall blinked at her disbelievingly. _'Just a moment ago you were saying how you couldn't trust my food, and now you're demanding a meal?'_

'_**The stomach is the way to a woman's heart, Contractor.'**_ Shiva decided to chime in her amusement. Squall could feel cool tendrils of Shiva's caresses on his arms, soothing the aches that were acting up again. **'I know I cannot stop you, Contractor, but I trust you will succeed. For all of us.'**

"…Whatever." Squall huffed, replying to both women; Shiva needn't be so melodramatic, and Prishe so excitable. "Can we get back to the situation at hand?"

"Garlic, salted, and stuffed with wild berries! Crispy, not burnt! Berries dried!"

"I heard you the first time." He growled impatiently. "Aerith, now?"

"Righty then! Got a plan?"

Their surroundings shook and Prishe absently slapped a falling rock away before it could hit them.

"If you could call it that." Squall pointed his weapon towards the blocked entrance, where the Phantom Train remained intent on forcing its way through, or bring down the mountain trying. "I'm taking it for a ride."

Prishe stared at the man intently before walking behind him and wrapping her arms around his torso.

Her hands began to glow with healing magick.

"Fire away!"

Outside, the Phantom Train blared its diabolic whistle, stunning the annoying pink pest momentarily and sending spectral reapers at the woman. "**Foolish sack of flesh! Your deaths are inevitable!**"

"Maybe so. But do please forgive us for trying to live!" Aerith challenged, swinging her staff horizontally to swat an incoming wraith, stepping forward with her left foot as she twirled her staff to deliver an upward strike at another wraith.

Aerith twisted her body, pivoting about her left leg and swinging her staff again to dispel the third. Her green eyes widened as the fourth and fifth wraiths came in tandem, and she leaped backwards whilst swinging her staff, managing to catch one on its head before the final left a gash against her skin.

"Ack!" She yelped reflexively with her new wound before swinging her staff again.

A flash of distaste crossed Aerith's eyes and she pursed her lips. A quick glance around confirmed it; she was back to where she started.

The Phantom Train seemed to know what she had been planning, as he made duly sure that the flower girl would not get anywhere near enough to board him. This fact did bring a small measure of comfort to the lone Cetra, as this meant that her initial assumption that, despite its sentient nature, the ghost train would _not_ be able to move if she managed to destroy its engine.

Her problem now was approaching the mechanical golem; it seemed that it could sense its surroundings perfectly, in every direction. In retrospect, this made a lot of sense, considering this foe had no eyes, so it _had_ to have some other method of _seeing_, as it clearly knew where it was going.

Aerith's fingers clenched tightly around her staff as the ground once more shook.

If she didn't hurry, then her friends would be buried alive underneath the mountain, and _that_ was not something she was looking forward to any time soon.

But what could she do?

The mad train would not let her anywhere near it, and her repertoire of ranged attacks was lacking; she hadn't really had the need to learn more than the basics of self-defense.

She could try to blow up the train with her _White Materia_, but that ran the risk of her digging her friend's rocky burial herself. She also wasn't certain what the Phantom Train would do while she was casting.

"**Hide all you want, flesh bag! I shall have your soul soon enough!**"

Aerith's eyes hardened at the train's hungry call.

There was no time to think; the time for hesitation was over.

"Take me!" She shouted at the train as she charged forward, staff on her side at the ready.

The mad train's diabolic whistle sounded again, its high-pitched shrill calling soulless phantoms to once more hinder her advance.

Aerith exploded into action, zipping past the vanguard as nimble as she could, twirling her staff with destructive precision as she dispelled one scythe-wielding reaper after the next. A flash of spectral steel caught her eye and she pushed on forward, twisting her body to the side and wincing at the large gash it left on her skin – '_This will heal!_' – and instinctively threw her elbow as she spun uncontrolled.

'_Forward!' _She screamed at her body when another blade dug against her leg. _'Forward, Aerith!'_

She _needed_ to move forward, or her loved ones would leave her behind once more. Out of sight, out of her grasp; Aerith did _not_ want to wait around any longer simply hoping the best would come.

"Ugh!" A pained breath fled her lungs when the blunt end of the spectral reapers impacted against her chest. "F-_fire!_"

Embers flared around her body briefly, warding off her would be attackers momentarily as she staggered forward.

"Prishe!" She wailed as loud as she could against her burning lungs. "_Squall!_"

"**NO!**" The Phantom Train suddenly shouted; he could feel the man's soul abruptly leave death's door.

Aerith looked on as the metallic golem was suddenly pushed back by an angry red spear. "Sq-Squall!"

"HRUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Squall roared as he pressed on his advance against the Phantom Train. His body _burned_ with energy, his muscles protesting at the strain his indomitable will imposed on it.

The Phantom Train's wheels spun frantically as it attempted to push back on the mortal. It knew this pest could not keep this up for long.

"**I WILL NOT BE DENIED!**" The vessel of souls bellowed as its gears spun even more wildly to overcome this stalemate. The man _will_ die!

"Aw, can it already!" Aerith's eyes darted upwards where Prishe's voice came just in time to see the Elvaan monk slam both her fists against the metallic golem's first carriage; the monk had clearly used Squall's attack to launch one of her own.

The strength of Prishe's fists caused the train to buckle about the point of impact, the metal churning and breaking against the Elvaan monk's might. Aerith's wits suddenly returned to her when the train retaliated with another whistle as the monk flipped back, ectoplasmic reapers hot on her tail.

"_Protect!_" The flower girl called out as she threw her arms out.

The reapers dissipated upon impact with the spherical matrix of magick the shimmered around the Elvaan girl. Prishe bared her teeth in a feral grin when she landed on her hands and feet, half-aware that Squall's magick had finally given out while Aerith was already running to assist him, and prepared to give the coup de grâce upon the vulnerable golem.

"Hope you got a repair stop nearby, canny!" Prishe darted passed the spectral reapers set against her, ducking underneath the train in a crouch and planting her feet firmly on the ground. She strained her muscled and _pulled._ "'Coz ol' Prishe here bought a ticket to Painville just for you!"

The Phantom Train felt its head get picked up off the ground as the diminutive Elvaan lifted him off the ground, soaring higher and higher as she jumped. "**NO! No, no, no, NO! I will not be denied. I WILL NOT BE-**"

"I said CAN IT!" Prishe lurched her body backwards at the peak of their ascent before slamming the Phantom Train head first on the ground, effectively derailing the metal golem and decisively ending the skirmish with its engine buried deeply underground.

"Hah!" Prishe gloated as she stood to her full height. "Take that!"

"**I will not yield!**" The Phantom Train yelled and prepared to blow its whistle once more to unleash all manner of hell on the three warriors when a shard of ice suddenly slammed against its horn, halting its last attack. It could sense the other two warriors approaching its fallen frame. "**No, no! I will have his soul! I will have your soul! Your souls belong to me! They are mine!**"

They were his! They did not belong in that gluttonous dragon's belly! Couldn't these fools see that he was doing them a service? He would deliver them from that flying snake's jaws! They would no longer have to return to this slaughter-world!

If it could not do this, even, then what else was left for the carrier of souls? Why was it allowed to function until this time? ! Why couldn't it have perished that fateful day when the dragon and the voice feasted on its meaning of existence?

"**I WILL HAVE YOUR SOULS!**"

"Geez!" Prishe clenched her fists and savored the feeling of her knuckles cracking. "Doesn't this thing _ever_ give up?"

The monk fell into a charging stance as she cocked her right arm backwards, tendrils of ki and magick gathering at her palms, casting an ominous shade of green against her dark skin.

The Phantom Train spun its wheels frantically in a futile effort to escape its dangerous predicament.

"Screw it. I can't listen to this all day. Nighty-night!"

Squall's voice rang through the clearing.

"_Prishe_!"

* * *

><p>"<em>You're about to learn why 'oppose' rhymes with 'dispose'!"<em>

"_Always happy to take out the trash!"_

Vaan eyed the mage in front of him critically. Years of living in the slums of Rabanastre had honed the young thief's survival instincts and, at the moment, those very same instincts were screaming at him that things were about to turn sour, too soon.

His predicament started abnormally enough.

The young sky pirate had been separated with the group whilst fleeing at the opportunity Lightning granted. Knowing better than to travel alone, Vaan had decided to make his way back to the Order's Sanctuary. However, with his path through the Gulg region blocked by manikins, Vaan had decided to scale the snow-topped mountains instead, and cut through the Elven Snowfields soon after.

Besides, that girl he fought before might have headed this way when she flew off.

It was at this point where the sandy-haired youth saw a massive airship descend from the clouds to land at the large expanse on the mountain top. Its appearance had tickled _something_ at the back of his mind – he _knew_ this ship, but from where? – and so he decided to infiltrate the sky fortress and investigate.

Besides, if he managed to hijack this huge thing, it'd make travelling this world so _much_ easier. And fun. _Especially_ fun.

He had fully expected there to be company, and indeed, there was.

Manikins had piloted the airship, and Vaan made quick work of them.

It was when he reached the bridge that he saw something unusual; a clown was berating a timid blonde girl.

He recognized this blonde girl as the same warrior that had attacked him earlier before. Despite only catching a glimpse of her soft features before she transformed into something _feral _and wild, and then being forced to frantically dodge magicks wielded with skill the likes of which that would put even Fran's skills to complete and utter shame, Vaan was first and foremost a street rat. Years of running and hiding had ingrained in him a keen eye and sharp memory, especially for people's faces.

But back to the matter at hand.

Normally, Vaan wouldn't do anything about this – it kind of looked like a lover's spat to his eyes, or a one-sided argument between friends; he was never really good at reading the mood – when the clown had done _something_ and the girl let out a strangled scream of pain.

"_AAAAAAAAGHH"_

"_Hey! Leave her alone!"_

"_Who? What? When-where-why?"_

Vaan's eyes flashed and immediately he was upon the duo, recklessly charging in to protect the unknown lady. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was people that abused their powers to cause harm on others.

It was a childish and naïve motive, but Vaan honestly didn't care. He'd seen so many of his friends – fellow orphans and street urchins - suffer under the ambitions of those that wielded power.

The sky pirate hadn't expected the mage to be _this_ powerful.

While the battle had been a stalemate, at first glance, Vaan could feel beads of anxiety trickle down the side of his head; the clown had been _toying_ with him, and Vaan was already hard-pressed to put up a fight.

Then there was the strangely reticent girl, who hadn't made an effort to run or hide or help; the girl had merely stood there, fist against her breast, watching the fight unfold with half-aware, half-worried eyes.

"Huuuooooo- BURN UP!" Angry flames engulfed the sky pirate's arms as he charged forward at the clown mage, taking advantage of the opening the clown had made when he stumbled against a step.

"Boing~" The clown skipped to the side by the tips of his toes – clearing a greater distance than what the action should have allowed –, casually dodging the sky pirate's attack. Kefka squealed gleefully when Vaan slammed against the steps, the floor beneath him erupting in a fiery blaze. "Woo! Hot, fire, hot! Boy, you do know what people say about playing with fire, dontcha?"

"Never paid attention." Vaan shrugged as his rifle shimmered into existence. The sky pirate quickly aimed and fired, blasting a scatter shot that made the clown leap back even further. He reloaded his weapon. "'Specially when there's so much fun with gunpowder!"

Vaan leaped forward and fired another round, and again the clown casually cleared several more paces back with a half-hearted skip.

The sky pirate smirked as magick welled around his arms.

'_Perfect!'_

"Gonna tear you _asunder!_"

Kefka's eyes widened as a cyclone erupted from underneath him. "Aieeee!"

A triumphant grin stretched across Vaan's face as he stood between the cyclone and the unknown girl. Despite the perfect setup, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling welling in his gut.

Survival instincts were still going haywire.

Vaan's heart raced when the cyclone's rage was finally sated, only to reveal the mad mage standing there unscathed, save for his windswept clothing.

"And here I thought you were just another prepubescent pretty boy…" A shiver ran down Vaan's spine at the seriousness in the mage's tone. Kefka's eyes glinted with unbridled insanity.

"Incredible!" Kefka threw his hands up in glee, a complete turnaround from his seriousness just seconds before. "That's the most fun I've had in minutes!"

Despite the giddiness the mage was showing, Vaan knew things were about to get _much_ worse.

He glanced beside him where the girl still remained detached to the whole ordeal.

'_This is why Plan A should always be executed first…'_

Vaan grabbed her hand.

"Huh?" The blonde girl looked puzzled.

"Hey, snap out of it!" The sky pirate chided her frantically. "We gotta go!"

They both ran.

"Hm?" Kefka blinked at the sudden turn of events.

Vaan couldn't suppress the grin on his face as he turned around and waved at the mage, jogging backwards. "We'll finish this next time! For now," He caught the blonde's hand when she stumbled. "I'm just gonna take the girl!"

The blonde girl looked up at her kidnapper – or… savior? - curiously.

Vaan waved back at Kefka again.

"Catch ya later!"

* * *

><p>Laguna looked around cautiously for his hiding foe, his machine gun raised and ready for any attack.<p>

"It is time we put an end to this game."

Dark tendrils of magick swirled on the ground before him as a figure emerged.

Laguna let out a breath and prepared for another onslaught when he finally got a good look of the warrior before him. His eyes trailed upwards from the seemingly endless legs towards the barely clothed mounds that were _just_ right, and further rostral still to reveal eyes of piercing gray.

'…_eh?'_

The Cloud of Darkness stared down dispassionately at the stupefied warrior before her.

"What's wrong?" She questioned uncaringly. "Frozen by fear's icy grip?"

"O-of course not, no. I'm not- not at all" Laguna stammered quickly and shook his head, feeling skittish at the Warrior of Chaos' presence. "Just, I, um, was admiring your uh, appearance is all."

The yellow tentacles took offense at the man's remark and snapped at him, making the man with the machine gun jump.

"N-not- not any particular PART of your appearance, much-A-ARGHHH!"

Famfrit looked on with genuine curiosity when the Cosmos' gunman suddenly fell on one knee in pain. Though waiting patiently as she floated above the floor, her guard remained raised in case the man was merely lulling her into a false sense of security.

"Argh!" The man groaned again before admitting piteously before explaining, "…Leg cramp."

Laguna groaned again pitifully, making the Cloud of Darkness blink pitying at the spectacle, her tentacles yipping in delight. "Unbelievable. Cosmos must rest well with brave defenders of your like."

"Grah- hey, don't look at me," Laguna clenched his teeth as he tried to get blood flowing back into his right leg. "I couldn't believe it either. Somebody oughtta tell her how to pick 'em better, ya know?"

That…was an unprecedented reply.

"So…" The being also known as Famfrit looked away as she processed the man's confession. "You disrespect even the goddess whom you serve." She spared the man another cool glance. "We would pity her, did we not oppose her."

"M-ma'am," Laguna braced himself before standing shakily and stretching his legs. "I don't exactly 'serve' anyone." He picked up his machine gun. "I'm just working with her, that's it."

Determined green eyes focused on the floating abomination, this time keeping his eyes trained into her piercing grays. "If the world comes to an end, then that's bad news, right? So the only choice that leaves is to try and protect it." Laguna scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Then again, you know, it could be a little tough the way things are. What with these uh- what are they?" Laguna struck a pose as he searched for the word. "Munchkins?"

"Manikins?" Famfrit corrected the idiot.

"Yeah, them. That's what I meant. Those things are getting' old, real fast." He gave a tired shrug. "It's ridiculous! Where do they all come from?"

The Cloud of Darkness listened on thoughtfully as Laguna ranted, the gears of her mind spinning to reveal a wondrous opportunity.

"Anyway," Laguna said confidently. "I plan on findin' a way to get back home, munchkin infestation or not." He turned to the listening Warrior of Chaos. "I'm just doing what I gotta do to make that happen. I'm not 'serving' anyone, or anything like that." Laguna walked forward passed the floating abomination, lost in thought. "Sure, I may not be a god, but I figure I have SOME hope. I mean, that's all a soldier like me's really got, right?"

"Hmph." Famfrit scoffed as she made her decision as she stared at the soldier's back. This man was an unusual pawn of Cosmos, but she could make use of him. "Manikins have no place in this world." She disappeared, only to reappear in front of the raven haired Loire, startling him. "They are a foreign presence that unbalances a most delicate equilibrium."

"Huh?" She lost him; what was she doing?

"Know this, human." Famfrit drawled. "Manikins are cursed mockeries of men that crawled forth from the Rift, and now befoul this realm. Their masters do no more than pull the puppets' strings."

"Really." Laguna hummed, delighted at the revelation. "So you aren't making 'em, then." This meant that Chaos' forced did not have full control of these munchkins, and there had to be some way to halt their invasion.

"There exists a portal which connects this plane to theirs." The Cloud of Darkness continued. "Seal that door, and no more of the puppets will be able to emerge."

'_Hrmm?'_ "Meaning, they won't keep multiplying?" He clarified.

Famfrit turned to the human and nodded.

"A great deal of their taint has already spilt forth from the gate and into this realm. If you desire to stem its flow, follow the trail and seek out the source."

"Closin' a door sounds easy enough." He agreed before adding skeptically. "But if that's really all it takes, why would you tell me?"

The Cloud of Darkness let out an amused breath. _'He is not a complete fool after all.'_ "Did you not listen? These beings surge through the portal even as we speak. Should you choose to seek it out, all you will find is endless battle, and certain doom. As for us…" She floated past the man. "…we are but curious to see what manner of death you select for yourself."

With those ominous words of parting, the Cloud of Darkness vanished in a flash of dark magick, leaving the raven Loire behind to contemplate her words.

"Hmm…"

'_Well, THAT put things into perspective.'_

"First things first. Better let everyone know what's up."

* * *

><p>"Oh-ho , if it isn't our double-crossing young disturber of the peace." A low baritone voice hailed in amusement.<p>

Kain and Lightning broke their deadlock as the new arrivals appeared.

'_Crap.'_ Lightning huffed when the armored giants Garland and Exdeath approached with their weapons drawn. Her eyes darted between them, Kain, and the fallen Bartz. _'Not good.'_

"Tell me," Exdeath continued, ignoring the l'Cie in favor of the silent Dragoon. "How many friends whom you've betrayed does that now make?"

"What? !" Lightning let out a surprised breath. _'Has Kain really-?'_

Seeing this turning sour too fast, and knowing what it is these two Warriors of Chaos wanted, Kain exploded into action, darting past the dazed Lightning and scooped up Bartz under one arm.

"Kain!" Lightning shouted angrily. _'Damn it! I let my guard down!'_

The Dragoon spared her one unreadable glance before leaping off in a hasty retreat, Bartz in tow.

"Muohohoho…" Exdeath chuckled darkly at the turn of events. "This may be well worth hunting. I shall pursue him for the time being." The once tree from Moore turned towards his companion.

Garland scoffed. "Hmph. Suit yourself."

Exdeath promptly vanished in pursuit of the Dragoon.

Left alone with Chaos' Knight, Lightning grit her teeth and prepared for another battle, ignoring the numerous aches and stings of all the injuries she had sustained, both from battling the genome mage, Kuja, and from trying to stop Kain from murdering her in cold blood.

'_A good place as any to die.'_ The l'Cie thought darkly, pointing her gunblade at the large knight.

Garland looked on in amusement.

"A manikin army will soon sweep across the very place we stand." He informed, and Lightning's fingers clenched tightly around the handle of her weapon at the revelation. "I needn't bother lifting my blade against the likes of you."

Lightning remained apprehensive, her suspicious eyes briefly darting to the massive cleaver the giant held loosely. The knight paid it no heed.

"The dolls have their purpose better than you could ever know."

Indeed, for the manikins had shattered the trust Cosmos' warriors shared with another. The Dragoon's, Kain Highwind's, actions were testament to that fact.

How pitiful these warriors chosen by Cosmos were.

"They may have their…imperfections…but they are more than capable of defeating you."

Lightning's glare intensified. "_Says who?_"

"Most of your friends have already departed." Garland informed, smirking underneath its helmet when the woman visibly tensed at the revelation. "You'd best enjoy what precious time you have left."

The giant turned away and marched, leaving the l'Cie alone.

"Departed?" Lightning questioned, her eyes narrowing in anger. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Garland paused but still did not turn to face her.

"Manikins are merciless. They know only how to deliver death and destruction, from which there can be no return. I suspect that we shall not see one another again. Fare thee well, soldier of Cosmos."

Lightning took a step forward to retaliate at the knight's mocking only to forcefully halt attack; she knew she attacking the Warrior of Chaos now would only spell doom for her.

And…there were other, more pressing matters at hand than acting on a petty grudge.

'_Departed? That can't be!'_

It hadn't been that long since Cosmos blessed them. The other warriors couldn't have fallen already, could they?

This just was _not_ possible.

_-"Fine." She grudgingly amended, accepting the scarred man's pitiful excuse. "Stay alive, Squall."_

"…_you too."-_

She refused to believe it. They all couldn't have fallen already, so soon! But even as she told herself that, a sinister voice whispered that all was already _too_ late…

They needed to regroup. Hopefully, the rest of Cosmos' chosen were smart enough to retreat from the fighting. She needed a plan-

She needed _Squall_.

The man had proven during their brief journey together that he was a veteran of war. With both their heads, they might find a way out of this mess.

Maybe- maybe there was still a chance.

Lightning raised her hand up in the air and snapped her fingers.

"Odin!"

Her Eidolon answered her call, the armored stallion prancing beside her as she mounted her steed.

"We gotta hurry." She commanded the beast.

Odin needn't any more prompting as it quickly darted towards the Sanctuary, leaving its master to her thoughts.

'_Damn it, Kain!'_

* * *

><p>"<em>Prishe!"<em>

The Elvaan monk halted her finishing blow at the scarred warrior's shout.

"What?" She snapped at him, waves of destructive energy swirling around her raised palm just begging to be released; the monk was just about to shut the metallic golem up for good.

"Wait." Squall commanded, one arm slung around the flower girl's shoulder as Aerith supported his weight with their approach. "There's something I need to know."

Prishe's eyes darted from the brunet and back towards the half-buried train, then back again. She thrust her thumb over her shoulder petulantly. "From this thing?"

"Yes." Squall placed a hand on Prishe's shoulder as he disentangled himself from Aerith. "Let me."

Squall cleared his throat.

"You, train."

"**Flesh bag.**" The golem boomed coolly, mildly curious about what it was this mortal had to say.

"You mentioned something before. That 'our souls belong to you'." Squall's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"**Your soul is mine, flesh bag. When your shell dies, I shall claim your souls as is my right and duty.**"

"So you're just a courier."

"**I am a 'courier' tasked by the **_**Gods**_**, mortal.**"

"Yeah, some 'courier of the gods' you are." Prishe cut in snidely. "Tell the gods that if they want a piece o' me, then they oughtta bring their A game! I ain't some pushover!"

"…he was after me, Prishe."

"**What the flesh bag said.**"

"Semantics." She waved them both off and folded her arms impetuously.

"Regardless," Squall prompted before the interrogation would get out of hand. "By 'gods', do you mean Chaos and Cosmos?"

"**Those soulless abominations? Hah! Foolish mortal, the gods that created me are the True Gods! Not self-proclaimed deities forged out of amorphic ore, leeching off anything and everything they come into contact with.**"

_That_ piqued Squall's interest. "Explain."

"**It is as I said, flesh bag. The instant you answered their summons, your fate was sealed. This war you fight is a farce! The struggles you face are meaningless! This war is one without end, and your souls will never find rest even after death!**"

"You speak as if we didn't know of this." Squall scoffed, though inwardly he knew it was a fair spiel. His arm unconsciously held Prishe tighter when he felt the Elvaan's grip on his jacket tighten at the fallen golem's words. "Still, you _know _something. How do we get out of this world?"

"**You cannot leave this place, flesh bag. Your soul is tied here. However,**" The Phantom Train's engine rumbled, and Squall felt like he was being given a hungry leer. "**If you choose to give me your soul, then I can guarantee that your suffering shall end. You will no longer be forced to fight.**"

"You're not taking him!" Prishe fired back angrily.

Squall placed a reassuring hand on her purple-topped head. "Easy, Prishe. I'm not gonna get taken away that easily." He turned his gaze back towards the golem. "It's as she said. We're gonna fight, and keep on fighting until we can't. _Then_ we're gonna fight some more. There is always a way."

Despite the conviction with which Squall spoke with, inwardly, he felt desperate. _'There _has_ to be a way.'_

He glanced over at Prishe again; the Elvaan monk hadn't picked up on his uncertainty.

"**No, foolish soul jar. There **_**isn't**_** a way out of this world. Once called, you will forever be trapped here until your soul perishes for all eternity. You **_**will**_** die here. If you give me your soul, then I can promise it will perish **_**peacefully**_**.**"

"C'mon Squall. This thing's getting on my nerves." Prishe disentangled herself from the taller warrior, cracking her knuckles in irritation. "Lemme break him."

"…One last thing." Squall folded his arms. He looked towards Aerith for affirmation, and the flower girl nodded her head. "What do you know about _Shinryu_?"

Aerith gripped her staff tightly when the Phantom Train exploded.

"**SHINRYU!**" Its engines fired wildly, and Prishe reflexively stepped in between the golem and Squall in case any funny business went down. It bellowed again. "**SHINRYU!**"

"Yes." Squall agreed coolly. "Shinryu. You _know_ him. Talk."

"**Shinryu is a gluttonous snake that lords over these lands!**" The Phantom Train spat. "**That **_**snake**_** is the reason I am chained to these lands! Shinryu and that other!**"

"Good." There was a chilling sense of triumph glinting in the mercenary's eyes. "And who is this _other_?"

"**I don't know.**" Despite its quieter tone, the anger in the Phantom Train's speech wasn't at all abated but, instead, was cold and full of hate. "**But when I find out, I will enjoy rending that man's flesh. I shall pervert my most sacred of duties if only to hear his soul scream for an eternity and more.**"

An uneasy silence descended after the golem's proclamation. Squall and Aerith considered the Phantom Train's words while Prishe remained tense, waiting for an excuse to annihilate the god-sent golem for attempting to murder her friend.

It seemed only fitting that the one with the most to say had ended their pause.

"**What say you, flesh bag? Now that you know the truth, will you offer your soul onto me for relief? You know of this world's lies. You know there is no escape. Should your soul house in my carriages, I assure you no harm shall befall upon yourself, and never shall you be forced to fight in this farce of a war.**"

"Now see here-!"

"Prishe," A soft voice began, and Prishe's head snapped to find Aerith's calming green eyes looking at her imploringly. "Let Squall decide."

"But he's-!"

"Idiot midget." Squall scowled softly, drawing the monk's attention. "Of course my answer is 'no'. I _will_ find a way out of here, mark my words."

"**Foolish mortal. You are only prolonging your suffering!**"

"We're human. Well, mortal anyway." Squall looked over at Aerith and Prishe observantly. "You get used to it. And besides," The mercenary stared at the metallic golem piercingly. "Something tells me we're not at all safe with you. This _Shinryu_, he ate all the souls you were carrying, didn't he?"

"**No he did **_**not**_**.**"

The Phantom Train's lie was as lucid as the purest diamond.

"It's obvious what happened. You're the ferry of souls, and yet there are none on you, while you hold a considerable grudge against Shinryu and his accomplice." Squall pointed out clinically. "You're only lying because you _want_ my soul. _Our_ souls. But for what?"

Prishe's ears twitched at Squall's words, and she threw out her guess. "Maybe he's planning to summon Shinryu." Her eyes widened when her mind caught up with her mouth. "Oi! You're planning to offer Squall's soul to that snake!"

"Prishe," Aerith called the monk's attention. "Do you think Shinryu could be the cause of _that_ light?"

"It's possible. This thing's prolly planning on harvesting our souls then bargain with Shinryu using them! You bastard!"

"**I only mean to **_**kill**_** Shinryu for his most blasphemous of deeds, whelp!**" The Phantom Train confessed angrily; there was no longer any point to withholding the truth when it was already out in the open. "**Is this not a blessing, then? Your torment shall end knowing that I will best your oppressor!**"

"Yeah, fat chance, pal! You couldn't even trounce me!" Prishe huffed and folded her arms cockily. "Not that I blame ya! I'm just _too_ awesome!"

"**I **_**will**_** best that accursed reptile!**"

"Nuh-uh you won't! Besides-"

"How about we make a deal?" Squall cut in coolly, stopping the excitable Prishe's tirade.

"Wait, Squall-?"

"**Only your soul interests me, flesh bag.**" Despite its words, the Phantom Train sounded keen on what the man had to say.

"I know. My soul, in exchange for _your_ cooperation."

Aerith gasped when Squall was suddenly on his back after Prishe backhanded his face.

"PRISHE!"

"Argh, damn it Prishe!"

"No! Damn. _You._ Squall!" The monk glowered over him. "You're _not_ doing this to me, again! I'll _kill_ you myself before I let you do this to me AGAIN!"

"Prishe, calm down." Aerith tried to placate the fuming monk. "I'm sure Squall didn't mean it _that_ way."

"You didn't let me finish, you impatient midget!" Squall groaned out irritably as Aerith helped him up. His brows scrounged together in pain as he tentatively pressed at the bleeding organ- the Elvaan girl had actually broken his nose, among _other_ calcium deposits! Thankfully, Aerith was already on the case with her healing hands. "Hyne _damn it_!"

Prishe remained standing still as a statue, her fists balled and trembling at her sides as her hair cast a dark shadow over her eyes. "Don't you _ever_ kill yourself in front of me again." She whispered harshly. "I don't know what's _wrong_ with you that you think it's alright for you to die, but damn it Squall! I'm your friend, ya hear me? That means your life is not your own anymore!"

Squall pursed his lips as the monk gave her spiel. It was only then when he realized the full gravity of what he had done. He knew it – intellectually and personally, he knew his useless sacrifice had only hurt the monk, but it was only now when he realized just _how_ much, and honestly, he wasn't sure if he could ever _earn_ her forgiveness, or if he even had the right.

Was this karma?

He had spent his whole life dreading the time when people would walk away from him, and yet it was _he_ that had walked away from the person who needed contact the _most_. He felt disgusted with himself, and yet there was no time to dwell on such thoughts. Not now, not _yet._

He'd make it up to Prishe later.

The SeeD gently pushed Aerith's hands away, and stood. The angry tremors wracking Prishe's shoulders ceased as she watched Squall walk past her, only to stop when they were side-by-side.

Squall wrapped an awkward arm around her shoulder and spoke. "I know I don't have the right but, _please_ Prishe. Trust me on this. I promise I won't leave you _ever_ again until we've seen you safely out of this hellhole."

"Fuck you, Squall." Prishe choked as she frantically rubbed at her eyes with her sleeve. Squall and Aerith chose not to comment, instead waiting for the shorter warrior to continue. "Fine. Go ahead. It's not like I can stop you." She ground her teeth. "Just…you _promised_. I'm gonna have you swallow your teeth if you _ever_ break it."

"Promise." Squall affirmed, and turned his attention back on the metal golem while Aerith stood and buried the downtrodden Prishe in her embrace.

"**Done with the drama, flesh bag?**"

"Thank you for waiting." There was no hint of gratitude in Squall's formality. The mercenary stared at the golem coolly before continuing. "I have a proposition for you. Your cooperation, in exchange for my soul _when_ I die."

"**And what would you have me do?**"

"You will follow my every order. You and I have similar goals. You want to reap vengeance against Shinryu. I want to escape this world, and to do that I'll inevitably face Shinryu. Follow my lead, and we'll both prosper."

"**And what if I don't? How can I be assured that you will keep your end of the bargain?**"

Squall folded his arms and addressed the Phantom Train's suspicion aloofly.

"You can't. You'll have to trust my word. Otherwise, Prishe will be more than happy to crush you right here and now."

"Damn straight." Prishe huffed, glaring at the metallic golem.

"**I call your bluff.**" The golem cackled madly. "**You **_**need**_** me, or you wouldn't attempt this bargain. I can always wait for your time to end, flesh bag. I'll harvest you, then.**"

"And I call _your_ bluff. There is a reason you came to harvest me _right _now. Shinryu has always beaten you to the souls of the fallen, hasn't he? You have always _failed_." Squall told him coldly. "And as for my needing you, you've misinterpreted this situation. I _don't_ need you, but you are a resource. A _replaceable_ resource. _I _have the upper-hand here. Answer me now then; will you submit or perish?"

"…**I **_**will **_**have your soul, mortal, but your offer intrigues me. Promise that when the time comes for that snake to appear, you **_**will**_** summon me. And **_**we**_** will achieve a glorious victory.**"

"Hn." Squall huffed, choosing to ignore the melodramatic words. "I give you my word."

"**Very well then, mortal.** **The deal is made!**" As if to punctuate its agreement, the Phantom Train blared its whistle.

"Good for you." Prishe spat.

Squall eyed the Elvaan girl with thin lips. "Prishe," he called out, approaching the monk. Aerith had chosen to remain silent and watch the scene unfold. "Just trust me, alright?"

Prishe marched forward and thrust her finger at his chin. "Do _you_ realize the consequence of what you just agreed to?"

"Trust me, Prishe. I know."

"No! No you don't!" The immortal threw her hands up exasperatedly. "You- if you _fail_, that _thing's_ gonna feast on your soul. And, if what it says is true, then you'll _never_ come back." Her eyes shimmered angrily; why did he have to be so stubborn? ! _'You'll disappear forever!'_

"I told you." He stared straight into her eyes seriously. "I _know_."

Prishe's eyes widened in horrifying realization. "Is- is that it then? ! Are you really gonna lea-"

Squall flicked her forehead _hard_. "Stop jumping into conclusions, Prishe. Just let me explain. Trust me." _'Even if you no longer have any reason to.'_ "I've thought this out. That _thing_ doesn't know what it's talking about, entirely."

"You- argh!" Prishe pulled at her hair to stop herself from strangling the insufferable man. It hadn't even been a full day since they reunited, and again he was already driving her up the wall.

"Squall," Aerith decided to cut in as she massaged the monk's shoulders soothingly, her brilliant emeralds piercing Squall's sapphires. "I do hope you know what you're doing."

"I do." Squall nodded before returning his attention back to the glaring monk. "I promise you, Prishe. I _will never_ leave you, not until I've seen you out of this world."

The two stared at each other, Prishe glaring while Squall looked on imploringly, before the monk finally breathed an annoyed huff. "Fine. I demand an explanation later."

Squall nodded his head. "Thank you, Prishe."

"You better be thankful!" She glowered before quickly shrugging it off. Damn this man for being such a troublemaker.

"**Get me out of here, flesh bags.**" The Phantom Train suddenly cut in, drawing the attention of the gathered three. A grin split Prishe's cheeks when she realized the golem was still half-buried underground. "**I cannot perform whatever task you have in mind, like this.**"

"I really oughtta just leave you there." Prishe grumbled. The monk waved off the meaningful stare Squall shot her. "I know, I know. I'm on it already, sheesh."

Prishe casually strolled towards the golem, glaring at it all the way. "You better be worth it, scrap metal."

The monk grasped its metal frame and _pulled_, lifting the engine carriage above ground before setting it down ungracefully and stretching her arms.

The Phantom Train fired its engines cautiously, testing its functionality. Prishe tapped her foot against the ground impatiently. "Well?"

"…**Your assistance was prompt, flesh bag.**"

Prishe cracked her knuckles. "How about I promptly assist in disassembling you?"

"…**Thank you, flesh bag.**"

"Better."

Several feet away, Aerith breathed a sigh of relief now that the danger was over.

Squall's eyes sobered at Prishe's display of strength. The mercenary already knew that if it came out to an all-out brawl, he'd be hard-pressed to match the monk's speed and strength, and yet, Aerith's words, one lone Warrior of Chaos had managed to not only match the Elvaan's strength, but managed to best her as well.

He pressed his eyelids tightly in thought.

He had always suspected that behind his bulky frame, a behemoth dwelled within Chaos' Knight, Garland. It seemed his suspicions were true.

'_Ultimecia, Kuja, and now even Garland…'_ His thoughts darkened. _'Chaos has gathered quite the crowd. And there's that clown that played Kuja like a marionette…'_ Squall's head hurt just thinking of what they would be up against, his experiences as a leader already calculating the potential casualties they would suffer – something he _didn't_ want to accept, even though all evidence pointed that the line of '_too late_' had already been crossed with Kain's actions, alone.

Had he fought the Dragoon elsewhere, Squall had no doubts he would not be standing here, this day.

'_There's still so much left unanswered.'_

They now had affirmation about _who_ Shinryu was, but that opened another can of unknowns with the matter of the dragon's accomplice. And then there was the problem of the manikins spilling over, hounding, he conjectured, Warriors of Cosmos, though that thought brought one chilling reminder to the forefront of his mind; what about _Aerith?_

Could she really be trusted, then?

Already, once, with the genome mage, Kuja, had they almost brought in a scheming Warrior of Chaos into Cosmos' sanctuary. What was Aerith's angle? Was her kindness just a façade?

Prishe…Prishe he could trust. His body screamed at him that Prishe could be trusted, his memories sang to him that Prishe could be trusted, and that, if anything, it should be the Elvaan monk that had trust issues with him.

-_"…Don't lose sight of your goal." Lightning's voice was uncharacteristically soft when she spoke. Her fist remained pressed against his chest reassuringly. "If you don't, you will survive." _

_She took a deep breath before muttering warmly. _

_"And… we're all still here."_-

Calm blue eyes revealed themselves as he remembered the l'Cie's words.

He hadn't time to contemplate his memories anymore; he'd just have to trust his instinct and follow Prishe, and have faith in the monk's trust in Aerith.

'_One step at a time, Leonhart. First things first; warn Cosmos of Kain's treachery, and then convince whoever's still left of the lie in this world.'_

"Squall?" Aerith's brows met in worry when she noticed the brunet's silence.

"It's…nothing. Really."

'_Aerith is trustworthy. Prishe trusts her, and so should you.'_

Squall shook his head.

"Time to get some rest." Squall declared, turning his attention back to the golem. "You, what should we call you?"

"**I am known as the Phantom Train, flesh bag.**"

"Squall Leonhart." The mercenary nodded his head. "We have much more to discuss, but that can wait until morning. Aerith, Prishe. Get some rest."

"I'm staying first watch!" Prishe growled out.

Squall stared at her, but Prishe wouldn't be intimidated by his commanding gaze.

The mercenary relented. "Fine. You're on first watch. Phantom Train, you _will_ stay here and guard our cave's entrance."

"**Now a dog to a mere mortal…**" The Phantom Train grumbled. Prishe blew a raspberry at the metal golem. "**You better keep your end of the bargain, flesh bag. Shinryu will be **_**mine**_**.**"

"Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Been a while, eh? Anyways, the usual stuff happened IRL. To be honest, I wanted to post this last Saturday as a birthday present from me to me to you all, but my university suddenly rang me last Friday saying that I was sitting in the borderline between two degree qualifications, and so I accepted their offer for a quick oral exam. Suffice to say, after relearning the past three years over one weekend, I managed to pass my viva last Monday, and bumped up my degree mark.

Again, yeah, I know there were lotsa copy-pasta dialogue from the game, but it's mostly to show you where things are at. Don't worry, all that is important. Trust me on that.

Anyways, LTRA-wise, rest assured we're nearing the divergence point.

Also, FFVIII fans, _Syc0ticEpi0de_ has started their first story, _Triple Triad King_, which shows quite a lot of promise. From Squall's addiction to the game, to parodying the actual game itself (I lol'd when my nostalgia meter was jostled in chapter 2!), I'm sure FFVIII fans would enjoy the read and ride! Do help a new author out and show your support, as well. If anything else, their writing style is more poetic than mine ;)

(note to self: pick up a proper book to read to expand my literary horizon…)

Thanks for all your patience and support, everyone!

On a _random note_, any aspiring doctors looking for a school to study in… do _not_ go to ICL, no matter how reputable they are. Their standards are student-driven with nothing at all to do with the quality of teaching (seriously, what orthopaedics _surgeon_ starts off their lecture with "This is a bone. Its function is _stiffness_"?), and student satisfaction is crap (pretty much the entire student body is on omeprazole and beta-blockers, sleeping tabs, paracetamol, and other cocktail of stress-relievers).

I did say that note was random, eh?


	14. Chapter 14: Sustained by Hate

**A/N:** My sincerest apologies for the long delay. As usual, life came up to occupy my time while inspiration decided to focus on other projects. Rest assured this story isn't abandoned (especially considering I have the ending finalised; _hurr durr_! I've got a long way to go as I'm not yet even halfway for what I've planned...TIME!). Those looking to get their fix of Squall/Lightning may want to turn to my drabble series _Scenery Called 'Everyday'_ for now, though. Or _Notes on an Adventure in a Public Place_ if you're looking for some family time. Currently, I'm doing volunteer work in, so that's been taking my time on top of more _life_.

* * *

><p>The sharp sound of twigs snapping coming from their bonfire brought the sleeping lion back to his senses.<p>

His eyelids opened, blinking once as his iris refocused and his mind rapidly briefed him of the situation thus far before methodically taking stock of the whereabouts of his current allies.

Aerith was fast asleep close to the fire. The sound of her light snoring was testament to how tired the flower girl really was. Squall sharply averted his gaze from calculating her allegiance.

_'As long as Prishe trusts in her.'_ he reminded himself. Speaking of whom…

Squall slowly stood, and was satisfied to find that he wasn't as dizzy as before. Shiva and the rest of his Guardian Forces were making headway in helping him recover from his wounds, fatigue, and blood loss.

**_'It was not easy, Contractor. You will need sufficient nourishment as well.'_** Shiva's cool voice whispered to him. The ice elemental sounded slightly miffed - irritated. _Tired._ **_'Next time, do take extra care not to swim with a hole in your forearm.'_**

_'Didn't really have choice.' _Squall rolled his eyes at her dry chastising. The ground beneath him had given way during his battle with Kain and the manikins, after all. _'But noted. Thanks.'_

**_'Mhmm.'_** She hummed, not quite agreeing with his response but nonetheless accepting her contractor's sincere gratitude.

Feeling Shiva's presence retreating, Squall gave Aerith one last studying glance, before making his way outside. At once, his eyes found the Phantom Train waiting beside the entrance.

**"Awake now, flesh bag?"** It greeted with what seemed to be customary disdain. Squall was beginning to think the Phantom Train hated everything in general.

_'Then again'_, Squall thought, _'If I were torn out of my world and forced to suffer in this land for so long, I would be spiteful too. Hnn…'_

Squall wisely chose to drop such parallelisms with his current situation. "Where is Prishe?"

If the train had a face, Squall felt that distaste would be etched across it.

**"The loudmouth marched off towards the lake." **A low rumble that sounded like a chuckle left the metal golem's frame. **"She may be contemplating death after what you put her through."**

Storm-blue eyes glinted with deathly steel at the golem's mocking. "Perceptive, aren't you? Regardless, stay here and keep watch." His blade flashed into existence, a threatening weapon gleaming with promises of death. "_Or else._"

**"We had a deal, flesh bag. I shall conform if only to reap your soul to forever remind you how pathetic your struggle really is."**

A tense silence fell upon the pair. Squall's jaw was tight as he could not get a read on the golem- no thanks in small part to the Phantom Train not actually having a face.

He turned away.

"See that you do." He commanded as he rested the dull edge of his weapon against his shoulder. Squall he made his way to the lake, leaving the Phantom Train behind to watch over Aerith.

The walk to the lake was uneventful; a rare respite as the usually relentless manikins were nowhere in sight. Still, Squall remained alert, his posture not too tense but not at all relaxed as he stood before the lake. His eyes spotted the silhouette of Cosmos' Sanctuary on the far other side, its radiance only slightly dimmed from his vantage point on the Elven Snowfields.

In the dead darkness of the night, the Order's Sanctuary was like a beacon of hope as it illuminated the lands.

Taking his eyes off from his objective, Squall scanned the area for the no-doubt brooding Elvaan monk. Prishe's habits flittered to mind, and he instinctively looked for an isolated place – a boulder, a gulf, anything of the like. He spotted her almost immediately, seated with her legs sprawled before her atop a low hill overlooking the lake, even as her dark skin and purple hair blended with the night.

The mercenary braced himself for the long-overdue confrontation with the monk. Squall inwardly cursed the cowardice of his past incarnations that forced him into this role.

"Prishe." He called out in a mellow tone so as not to startle the excitable girl.

Prishe glanced to her side lethargically, and Squall was treated to the sight of her purple eyes slowly widening as she registered his presence; the melancholia in her figure slowly dispersed with the small grin she flashed at him.

"Heh, is my shift over already?" She glanced up at him when he stopped by her side.

Looking down at her, Squall was reminded of a guilty child attempting to hide a pack of stolen sweets as the monk tried to dispel whatever somber thoughts had plagued her.

At his lack of reply, Prishe made to get up only to feel his gloved hand pressing against her shoulder, holding her down.

"…Squall?"

Squall silently sank to his knees next to her, and Prishe watched as he made himself more comfortable. Her gaze returned to the watery expanse before her and the Sanctuary in the horizon. Hearing him finish making himself comfortable, the monk took in a deep breath.

"…you ready to talk?" There was no heat in her tone; just weariness brought about by Squall's exchange with that damn golem. The embers of Prishe's anger had already been snuffed out. There really was no point anymore at getting angry.

If Squall- _since_ Squall chose to leave her here at the end of this cycle, she couldn't really do anything about it. It was his choice. He was his own person. She could rage about it all she wanted, but _nothing_ would change. For all her power and for all her experience, she was _still_ nothing but a bystander watching time flow by. Really, she should have known that if people were not dying around her, then they would just be getting tired of walking beside her and move on. This was her curse, after-

-Prishe's eyes widened when his weight suddenly fell against her shoulder.

"Your thoughts are showing." He commented offhandedly. Her face flushed at the unexpected contact - from this bastard no less! – and she elbowed him roughly.

"…and you're frickin' heavy, fatass." She muttered back sharply before shoving him. "Get off me!"

"Hnn." He complied, having successfully broken the monk from her introspection. It was Squall's turn to take a deep breath. "You know, Prishe-"

Her eyes flashed.

"No, I don't know why you're being so talka-"

"Hey. Shut up." He elbowed her back.

Squall inwardly frowned at her hostility. He could tell that Prishe clearly was still angry at him with how her barbs were becoming more cross than her usual banter.

He really did screw up earlier when he made that offer to the Phantom Train. At the time, he was too focused on grasping the opportunity presented to him to realize what his words may have sounded like to the Elvaan monk.

And now Prishe was trying to stall him and run away.

He really had hurt her a lot.

_'Wasn't that obvious, Leonhart? Your last parting with the midget wasn't exactly friendly.'_ Squall silenced that annoying voice in his head that reminded him of all his faults and failures.

That was the past. There was no point dwelling on his mistakes any further, not when he had much more important matters to deal with. He could beat himself up when he died.

"I'm ready to talk now, Prishe." He told her, answering her earlier question.

Their gazes met silently.

Prishe studied his face, purple orbs reflexively taking in the scar that ran down his forehead to just under his eye first before tracing the rest of his moonlit face. She pursed her lips, wondering what it was about this man that always had her on edge before realizing exactly what it was.

Squall had given her hope, a torch to wield against her own darkness and, abruptly, he snatched it away.

They were two peas in a pod, her and Squall. They were drawn to each other by self-imposed solitude despite the painful yearning rattling their bones for someone to keep them warm, a yearning that they fervently and stubbornly attempted to hide because of their fears. Whereas Squall was afraid to bring people within arm's reach for fear of being the one left behind, Prishe was simply tired of outliving everyone she ever cared about.

When Cosmos had summoned her those many cycles ago, Prishe leapt at the opportunity to traverse to a different world, telling herself that there was just nothing to do in her old world any longer. Besides, if she was able to kick some ass along the way, then all-the better, right? In the deepest part of her heart, the part where hollow truths were kept in a black box and ignored, she really was just searching for a place to die.

But even in this world, she couldn't fall into that distant, eternal slumber.

Even worse, in this world, _everyone_ she knew disappeared that much quicker.

And then they'd return.

Once upon a time, Prishe would have thought this was the answer to her problem. Nobody seemed to perish forever, after all. Such fantasy was immediately dashed, however, as she watched everyone struggle fruitlessly. They came and they died while she remained standing on the same spot watching the world turn by. She tried to help them, yes. She fought to keep them alive, even when they couldn't remember her name anymore.

_Her heart broke when both Cosmos and her Warrior of Light couldn't even recognize her, the latter even drawing his blade and leveling it at her throat when she became persistent._

It was then, Prishe realized, that she truly hated this world.

"Prishe." Squall suddenly called, and Prishe's head snapped towards her companion.

_Squall…_

She took in his worried look and realized that everything was so blurry. Prishe felt a trail of moisture down her cheek, and she immediately ducked her head so he wouldn't see her.

Squall… was different. At least, she thought he was different; now, she wasn't so sure.

What started off as a rivalry between the two of them – the scarred bastard _was_ a murderous Chaos goon when they first met, after all – turned into an odd sort of friendship. Amidst the cycles that passed, Squall was the only one that always stood by her side. Naturally, she would always have to remind him of their time together; just like all the others, whenever she'd meet Squall again, he had no recollection of her. What made Squall stand out, however, was that he'd always believe in her, and then they'd be off in a merry adventure.

A part of her started to think that Squall was unique, that way. It didn't matter how many times they parted because Squall _always_ returned to her, again and again.

She was honestly happy.

But it seemed she was the only one. After all, it was clear that Squall was already tired of her- of keeping her company in this world.

Otherwise, he wouldn't bargain his soul to the Phantom Train.

_'He really is just like the rest...' _That thought was really depressing. She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes, willing herself to regain her composure. _'C'mon Prishe, you're better than this!'_

Her body froze when she felt a gloved hand rest on her head before it began to awkwardly pet her.

"E-eh?" She peeked from the corners of her eyes.

True enough, Squall's lips were pursed as he struggled with this task. Even under the moonlight, it was easy to see how embarrassed Squall was, and she couldn't help the wide grin from splitting her cheeks.

Prishe opened her mouth only for Squall to cut her off.

"…Not a word." The brunet grumbled.

"You suck." She blew him a raspberry. When she felt his hand stop its stiff petting, she told him haughtily. "But I suppose you may continue explaining. Only if you want to of course…" Her tone may have been more scathing than normal; it was about _damn_ time, after all."_…jerk._"

There was a brief pause as Squall hesitated. His mind raced. How was he supposed to begin this delicate conversation? The answer came to him suddenly when his eyes found her expectant purple gems.

"Prishe… I'm sorry."

The monk was caught off-guard.

"Th-there's-! You don't have to be sorry for nothin'." She ducked her head again when she felt her eyes suddenly water. _Damnit, something probably got in her eye or somethin'. _"I get it, y'know? It's your life. I guess I was just too delusional to think I had any say, right?"

"But you do, Prishe." His answer caught her off-guard, and she glared up at him. Immediately, Squall continued before the Elvaan monk would erupt. "You told me yourself. My life is no longer my own now that we're _friends_."

Friends. It was such an alien word- but so comforting as well. After all they've been through- _no, after what the _previous_ Squalls had been through with her-_ they were friends, more than rivals and comrades.

Prishe's hands balled into trembling fists as she willed herself to speak calmly. "Then… then why'd you make that deal? I mean, when you do die, you'll never return again since that thing's gonna eat your soul. Friends don't abandon each other!"

"I know. And I don't abandon my own." Squall agreed. His hand stopped its petting and he fully faced her. "I _will_ return, Prishe. You can count on that." Prishe opened her mouth to protest at the contradiction between his actions and words, but Squall continued. "Don't you find something odd about the Phantom Train's story, Prishe?"

His sudden question caught the monk off-guard. Prishe folded her arms and began to think. "Hrmm… like, what?"

"When we die, our souls are consumed by Shinryu." Squall elaborated, and he inwardly smiled when he could see the gears in Prishe's head begin to turn. "Isn't that the same as what the train's trying to do?"

She blinked.

"…And yet, you're here." Prishe pointed out slowly, the realization widening her eyes before doubt set in once again; her brows creased. "But that doesn't make sense. Unless-"

"Unless I'm someone else." This time, it was Squall who turned away after admitting the dark possibility. He was rewarded with and odd look from the Elvaan girl and he couldn't help but smirk darkly. It really wasn't funny at all. "More specifically, I'm _another_ Squall."

- _"My memories… tell me that I know Prishe. My body reacts to Prishe's presence as if I've known her all along, yet another part of me knows that it wasn't me that knows Prishe. These memories feel like they came from a dream."_ –

Prishe gaped at him as she struggled to process his revelation. "But- that's- how's that possible?"

She couldn't be sure but for the briefest of moments, she thought she saw Squall flash her a pained glance.

"Prishe… how much do you remember about being summoned here?"

"A… fair lot." She replied slowly, wondering where the mercenary was going with this. "I remember Cosmos calling to me, asking for my help to stop Chaos. I can't quite remember exactly what she said…" Prishe's eyes darted to the side, but before Squall could comment, she quickly continued with a wide grin that threatened to illuminate the night. "…but I was sold once she said I could kick some divine ass!"

Prishe pumped her fist in the air triumphantly as if for emphasis, nearly knocking his head off his shoulders in her excitement.

Squall rolled his eyes at her, though there was a small smirk on his lips. "Figures." Prishe felt her chest tighten at his remark, but before she could amend her words, Squall continued. "I don't remember what my first incarnation must have thought of, but I imagine he wished for the same thing as I do now." His eyes lost all his warmth and when he spoke, it was with the chilling frost of death. "Ultimecia's head."

Prishe stared at him uncomprehendingly. "Squall…"

"But that's not the point I'm getting at." He swiftly interjected, and just like that the ominous tension between them disappeared. Squall cleared his throat, willing himself to focus on the matter at hand instead of the matter of his heart. "In order to be summoned here, we have to answer their call. In order to answer that call… we had to have had a wish." He glanced at her wryly. "Or in your case, a silly motive."

"H-ha, ha!" Prishe chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head. _'If only you knew what I really wanted…But still!'_ "That's a good one, Squall! I think you're thinking too deeply."

"How else do you explain all _this_?" He wouldn't relent. "If Shinryu does consume our souls, if this _God _that stands above Chaos and Cosmos – yes, Aerith deciphered the report - why do we still return?" Squall's argument was _very_ convincing. "Prishe, I'm _not _the Squall you knew!"

"Shut up!" Prishe erupted. Her fists flew to his collar and she dragged him down to her level with an angry glare. "You're _my_ Squall!" She howled at him. "You're- we travelled together! A lot! You killed me! You saved me! I saved you! You- we- we're _friends_! So stop it with all these absurd theories and accept that you're stuck with me!" The fire in her eyes dimmed and her head lowered. Her hands clenched at his sleeves and she whispered to him pleadingly, "Please, Squall… _don't leave me again_."

"Prishe…" Squall slowly began, suddenly mindful of how he should approach her and trying to ignore the daggers in his heart. _'Hyne, why is talking so hard?'_ "As your friend…" His arms awkwardly wrapped around the Elvaan monk's shoulders. Prishe really was so _small_ despite her strength and her boisterous nature. "As your friend, I _need_ to tell you the truth."

He held on to her tighter, wordlessly telling her he wouldn't let her go. "I've started to remember- to _learn_ what the previous Squall felt. The one that drugged you, anyways." This was so confusing. "When you approached him the first time, don't you remember how he acted?"

"Like a colossal prick." Prishe snapped back harshly. She peered up at him with an accusing stare. "Not much of a difference from now. You're still the same."

"Tell me what you remember." He urged her before quickly adding in a small attempt to lift her mood, "And no embellishments this time."

Prishe sucked in a breath deliberately, as if trying to buy herself more time to quiet her angry spirit, and began to recount their last meeting. "I stumbled into the Sanctuary. Y'know, after waking up again. I knew you would return- you always did, after all." The memory, though just a bit hazy, was something she always treasured. "Heh. There I was; walking into the Sanctuary like I owned the place, _uninvited_…" her ears drooped at the bitter thought, "…it was no wonder why everyone was suddenly wary of me."

Prishe had pleaded her case, and began pointing out everyone's names and nuances. The Warrior of Light had then asked Cosmos if Prishe was one of her warriors, to which the Goddess of Harmony shook her head.

Then everyone drew their weapons at the foolish assassin that dared venture into _Cosmos' Sanctuary_.

"I couldn't find you, that time." She continued, eyes misting with fond remembrance. "But you followed me out. And while you didn't recognize me immediately, you still followed me." Prishe grinned up at the scarred man. "It- it felt good, y'know? That everything we went through actually meant _something_, since a part of you still remembered me."

"Prishe…" Her heart ached at the pain in his voice. "I… didn't." Prishe blinked at him in confusion, an action Squall interpreted as her either not comprehending exactly what he meant, or her reflexively denying his confession. Whichever was the case, it still twisted the knife in his chest, and he almost lost his nerve – his resolve – to tell Prishe the truth she deserved to know. He swallowed the pins in his throat and repeated more clearly. "_I didn't remember you._ Not at the time."

Prishe's eyes remained confused, and her lips were parted with a shaky grin. "…H-huh…?"

Squall held her closer, subconsciously rubbing his hand against the dark skin of her nape to keep her calm and remind her of his presence. "I followed you because you mentioned _knew_ Ultimecia." His jaw clenched with his struggle to admit the truth. He had already hurt Prishe _so_ much, but still, she had to _hear _this… so he could make things clear.

And with any luck, he would never hurt her again unintentionally.

"I wanted information." Squall inwardly winced; aware of how cold he sounded. "I didn't care about Cosmos' war, and I didn't care about returning to my world. Not until I vanquished Ultimecia, anyway." Their eyes met and Squall cursed himself inwardly for the pain he saw in her purple orbs. "You were my _lead_- an informant. That, Prishe, was what I felt."

_Used._

This man had used her.

All that time she thought they had an unshakeable bond…

All that time…

She had misunderstood his intent.

"You…" Prishe's body trembled. Squall could feel her hands tightening around the bones of his clavicles, and he immediately held her wrists to keep her from breaking any more bones in his body. "You selfish, self-centered, conniving, manipulative _bastard_!" She exploded at him with eyes alight with fury. "All this time-! I thought-!"

His hands left her wrists to settle on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Prishe." Squall apologised sincerely, and Prishe's anger abated at his solemnness. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

The tension tightening her frame slowly slackened, and her hands, now devoid of life, dropped to her sides.

"No." Prishe pressed her eyes tightly, knowing whose fault it really was. "I'm- I'm the one who should be sorry. I misunderstood everything."

_All this time…_

Prishe sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled through her mouth, her shoulders seemingly sinking lower than before. "S-so… where do we stand, now?"

She blinked once when she felt his gloved hand cup her cheek, wordlessly urging her to look up at him. With uncharacteristic hesitance borne of the fear of what she may find in his eyes, Prishe slowly met his gaze.

Squall's eyes radiated with very determined warmth.

"We're friends." He told her resolutely, and Prishe snorted at the typical Squall reply. "We still have to get you out of this hell." Squall's arms tightened around her as if trying to reassure her that he would be with her every step of the way. "If I do die, and the Phantom Train takes my soul, _I'll always come back_. And we'll meet again. And we'll still be friends."

"Ri-ight. I- I knew that!" She whispered sharply, her voice cracking with unbridled happiness. The Elvaan monk tucked her head under his neck - out of his sight – and cleared her throat. "But even still…" She muttered against his chest, "I don't want you dyin' on me if you can help it, y'hear? It's… not right, y'know? For you to throw your life away just like that…"

"…" Could he promise her that?

"I'm not askin' you not to die." Prishe explained with a hint of annoyance in her tone at Squall's lack of response. " I'm, y'know, just askin' you not to use your life as a bargaining chip or, or! Y'know, as part of an experiment! It's doomed to fail, so why bother trying!" She glanced up at him wildly. "Are ya listening to me?"

Squall inhaled sharply when her fist collided against his gut.

"_Yeah…_"

Squall wasn't really sure what he was agreeing with, though. He honestly didn't see the problem. His life was not worth much, and it was his life to spend.

_No,_ that wasn't right. As his eyes trailed over Prishe's happy features, he reminded himself that his life wasn't just his own any longer…

…_ No matter how miniscule its worth was._

"Good!" Prishe nodded to herself, unaware of how Squall truly felt. "So long as _you_ understand, blockhead. I'm guessin' you couldn't tell me this earlier because that stupid golem was listening?"

"Yeah." He nodded, his chin rubbing against her purple crown. "My bad."

Prishe shook her head and pouted. "I wonder if I should be jealous of Arty. After all, she's the only one that's always connected to you."

"I'd rather sever that connection." Squall replied gruffly.

Prishe blinked at his reply before she realized that Squall really was still angry at her once friend; the undertone of malice her ears picked up was a clear indication of his lethal intent.

"Heh… you really are still _Squall_." The monk teased, trying to steer the conversation from dark territory. Really, his answer was just like what she'd expect the Squall – _her_ Squall, would say…

Her nose scrunched up as she could feel a headache coming…

"Don't think too hard about it." Squall suddenly said, and she realized Squall was _still_ studying her. It was uncanny, really, how this man seemed to know what she was thinking. "Even though I'm not exactly the person you know, I'm still _me_. And…" he trailed off softly. "I even have his memories."

_'In fact, it's getting harder to distinguish mine from his. This… is really just like a dream, one that can't be forgotten. Or permanent déjà vu.'_ While he wasn't sure which analogy was better, he did know one thing they had in common, and he inwardly groaned. '_Hyne damn it.'_

The monk inhaled deeply, still buried in her companion's chest, her eyes straying towards the glistening surface of the lake. "It's kinda hard not to, y'know? All this is so confusing. I mean, for starters, why do you even have his memories? And what about the others?"

"My case is simple: _Shiva_." Squall pointed out matter-of-factly. He then rested his chin against Prishe's crown in thought, ignoring the pout the monk shot up at him at being used as a headrest. "As for the others, who knows? Maybe fragments of everyone's memories are floating about after Shinryu devours them, just waiting for their hosts to return." He tried to ignore the obvious connotations associated with that idea. Judging from the snort Prishe let out, he figured the monk pieced _that_ puzzle and was entertained by the idea that their residual memories was actually Shinryu's excrement, or something unsavory along those lines. "I wouldn't really know. In the first place, where would memories come from? Do they just float around until a compatible host arrives? And if there wasn't a host, where would memories-"

Suddenly, the Phantom Train's words echoed in his mind.

Soulless abominations… amorphic ores leeching off anything and everything it came into contact.

Squall's eyes widened at the dreadful realisation.

The manikins.

Imperfect replicas of themselves.

The _Transient Lion_ that was persistently stalking his footsteps, waiting to sink its fang into his chest.

The _Fleeting Flash_ that was trailing after Lightning when they were traveling together.

Could- could it be?

Was that how the manikins assumed their form?

"Squall?" Prishe's worried voice cut in when she felt his body stiffen.

"Hn?"

A master of words, he was.

"Your heart's beatin' _really_ fast, mister." She deadpanned her observation. The frown on her lips suddenly curled upwards mischievously, and she wagged her eyebrows at him suggestively. "Am I too sexy for you?"

"Gah!" Squall immediately let go of the madly grinning monk. In his haste to detach himself, Squall stumbled backwards before crashing onto the ground. "Ugh…"

"Hah! So very Squall-like!" Prishe stuck her tongue out. Her merriment suddenly evolved into wonder when she realized what she just said.

He really was _still_ Squall Leonhart, no matter what he said or what _time_ he came from. And because of that simple fact laid before her very eyes over and over again, she could really believe that no matter what happened between them, Squall would never leave her be.

She couldn't contain her excitement.

The mercenary grunted when the wind was knocked out of him as the purple-haired sugar bomb pounced on his chest and wrapped him in a bone-crushing glomp.

"SQUALL!"

He winced. "…my ears…"

"Squall, you're you!"

"I think I said that before."

"No matter what, you're still you!"

"I know."

"You're a bastard!"

"…whatever…"

"So, we'll always be friends!"

"…yeah." Squall rolled his eyes. _'I'm not even gonna bother guessing what she's on about now. Especially when I have other things to worry abou-'_

"Stop thinking depressing things, little man!" Prishe's face filled his vision.

_'…huh?'_

"Tonight, we're both restin'! It's really cold, and I really need a blanket. You're gonna volunteer to be one again."

Squall frowned at the sudden turn of events. "But-"

"Blankets don't protest! And they don't think depressing things either! They shut their traps and keep me warm." Prishe's eyes narrowed imperiously, and Squall felt himself subconsciously nod at the purple orbs that bore into his soul. The monk smiled. "Besides…" She trailed off in a slightly softer tone. "Haven't you thought enough for one night?"

"…" Truth be told, despite having just woken up, he was already exhausted. Maybe it was the conversation they just had and the subsequent weight it lifted off his shoulders, or maybe it was just trying to keep up with Prishe, but he was already dead tired. "Fine. Get off me."

"Nuh-uh!" Prishe denied him childishly. "Blankets don't get to order people around, most of all _me_!" She snuggled closer to her _friend_,and Squall flushed at the intimate contact. While so many physical acts could be considered intimate when it came to him, Squall was quite sure what the impulsive monk was doing was crossing a line, albeit in her typical blunt and oblivious fashion. Then again, because it was said extroverted monk making contact, then whatever line it was she crossed meant absolutely nothing.

Squall sighed and gave up. All traces of tension left his muscles as resignation seeped from his bones.

Regardless of what he thought, Squall knew it was pointless to argue with the girl now that she had her mind set.

"Oh right, you're on guard duty since you just woke up." Prishe whispered against his ear as she tucked her head against his neck.

He blinked at the sudden command.

"…what?"

"Stay awake, little man." Prishe elaborated. She then yawned tiredly, curling into a ball against his side and nestling her head against the muscles of his deltoid. "Don't want any unwelcome surprises, right?"

What, was he supposed to pull sentry duty like _this_? "…sometimes, I wonder why we're friends."

"It's 'cause you're attracted to my awesome."

Prishe grinned as her eyes fluttered to a close.

"Nighty, nights."

Despite Squall's hesitancies, an arm secured itself around her shoulders, making Prishe smile warmly in satisfaction.

_'Thanks for staying with me… you big jerk.'_

* * *

><p>The moogle watched the waxing moon with mixed feelings.<p>

It had been a while since the last group of travelers had left and, thankfully, manikins hadn't attacked this time around, unlike when that group of two stayed the night. He recognized the man, of course; that scar running down his forehead distinguished him easily enough, though it was mildly surprising to see him carrying another – a woman with pink hair that he hadn't seen before – on his back.

He remembered how this man adamantly refused to travel with anyone _except_ that purple-haired girl with the unusually long and pointed ears. An odd pair, that, but one, he figured after careful observation, that made sense from a polar standpoint, which was an entirely senseless perspective he could never fathom.

Nevertheless, the moogle was thankful that the manikins hadn't raided the town in their search for their prey, as it allowed them to rebuild the humble traveler's lodge. It wouldn't do to be caught by a storm; wet fur was anything but pleasant.

And yet, though he was thankful that the manikins hadn't attacked as per normal, the moogle was _still_ with heavy heart. After all, that the manikins did not follow their routine meant some_one_ had interfered, and given that Cosmos' warriors were always _ripe and fresh and so very, very clueless_ about cogs that turned this world_,_ it only meant that Chaos' chosen moved their hand.

Cosmos' warriors were truly pitiable.

None of them had the slightest idea what they were truly up against.

The sheer number of manikins now roaming these lands had convinced the moogle that, _somehow_, Chaos' chosen had found a way to tap into _The Rift._ It was a chilling thought – how cunning they summoned could be; how much had they already deciphered? – but the moogle was not worried. Despite the unexpected win Cosmos' side had managed those many cycles ago, _breaking _their cycle of defeat and purging the _God of Discord_ of his amassed strength, Chaos' power still far eclipsed even the strongest of his chosen…

…A fact which made their adversary's situation all the more piteous.

Should the Warriors of Cosmos ever triumph against the relentless and _limitless_ manikin horde, they would have to face their killers, Chaos' chosen. And if by some miracle they would _once more_ emerge victorious against their butchers, then they would have to face Chaos' might.

By his estimation, Chaos had already amassed enough power to rival Shinryu in battle.

And lastly, the moon was becoming fuller, _brighter_, with each passing day.

The oblivious Warriors of Cosmos were truly _very_ piteous.

They had absolutely no idea what they were up against, particularly if the ever-hungry Shinryu decided to hasten his next meal. Knowing how impatient the dragon god could be, the moogle prepared his heart – steeled his conscience - for the inevitable slaughter.

The moogle tore his gaze from the waxing moon, willing himself not to think of the inevitable fate of Cosmos' chosen warriors. Everything was going according to the plan he had carefully constructed and implemented; Cosmos' downfall was never a surprise.

But… they were piteous.

His heavy heart constricted painfully.

Maybe…. Just maybe Cosmos' chosen could pull off another miracle amidst all the odds against them.

The thought was not enough to ease his pain, however.

After all, should they manage to surpass all his calculations and prove that their first victory wasn't a fluke, that it wasn't _the_ anomaly present in every dataset…

…they would be forced to return to the slaughter again.

Cosmos' chosen were truly cursed.

And it was his fault.

He threw one last glance at the waxing moon and murmured to himself in an attempt to rid his mind of his guilt.

"It's time to get to work… kupo."

Where was his resolve?

This routine was becoming harder to stomach with each passing cycle.

* * *

><p>"<em>That's impossible<em>." The witch whispered to herself in disbelief, unable to believe the sight her yellow orbs drank.

On the floor below her walked a woman with long raven hair cascading down her back with its tips bunched together in a short horse's tail that brushed against the curve where her rear began with each of her wandering steps. Her face was shaped like a heart – features so sweet one might even say they were angelic.

Liquid fire suddenly boiled through Ultimecia's veins, burning through the ice that had previously occupied it when she first laid her gaze at the woman.

And just as abruptly as her tumultuous emotions rage, so too was she able to still them.

"Think clearly." She calmed herself with a murmur.

This must have been a test.

Fate had always conspired against her.

Fate was never at her side.

Even here, in this world ruled by _that_ godling, Fate saw fit to send that mindless lion after her paws.

Oh Ultimecia remembered the _First Cycle_ – she remembered _pathetic little Artemis_.

_S_o piteously innocent.

So frustratingly gullible.

So unbearably _weak_.

_That_ memory recalled old wounds of her youth. It reminded her that no matter where she went, she would still be bound by that accursed prophecy. It reaffirmed Ultimecia that what she was doing was just; she was fighting against the death Fate saw fit to bestow upon her!

A cross she was fated to carry before she even came into existence!

So, why should she be surprised if Fate saw fit to send _that_ wretched devil after her now that she was _so close_ to becoming a god? If this marked the arrival of those wretched hunters, then she would face them with her claws poised for battle.

She had already proven that the lion was not infallible – that the lion was merely a _cub_ with fangs too sharp for his own bite.

Ultimecia's claw flew to her breast where a sudden ache undulated – a phantom wound where the cub had sunk his fang in when he, that devil, and the rest of his accursed posse stormed _her_ castle and challenged her.

With a sinister smile, Ultimecia made her way to greet the devil.

It was only moments later when she realized that _this_ woman wasn't the devil that walked beside the cub.

Regardless, maybe tormenting this wench was not without merit, especially when her appearance incited her so very furiously.

* * *

><p>It was a brand new day.<p>

Aerith blinked away the bright sun's gaze as she exited the cave. Her hands flew to her arms when a cool breeze wrapped her in its embrace, causing her shoulders to reflexively shiver. White mist escaped her through her pink lips as she glanced around, looking for her companions.

The first her emeralds found was the _Phantom Train_. Under the sun's light, the golem and its two carriages no longer appeared as menacing as the previous dusk, and it showed when Aerith approached it with friendly, if a tad bit cautious, steps.

"Good morning." She greeted the golem cheerfully, a smile as warm as the sun on her lips.

**_ "There's nothing good about this morning."_** The golem drawled its gruff reply as it remained perfectly still. Had it had a nose, it would no doubt sniff in derision at the perky flower girl.

Despite the unsavory reply, Aerith's mood wasn't soured. She nodded at the golem curtly as she passed it by. Aerith's feet carried her forward towards the lake in search of both her companions and to possibly refresh herself.

A glimmer of color caught the corner of her eyes and she immediately snapped towards it.

A radiant smile blossomed at what she saw.

Prishe was dancing – no, that wasn't quite right – the monk was prancing before a crouched and dazed Squall, laughing a loud, hearty laugh with a wide grin splitting her cheeks. Aerith couldn't quite get what the monk was jeering this time, though it seemed to make her companion more tired despite it being so early in the morning.

In stark contrast to the clearly happy Elvaan girl, Squall had his head dipped as he shook it in… defeat? Or was that resignation? Regardless what it was, Squall slowly stood up and, seemingly trying to ignore the monk, brushed past the girl.

Even as far away as Aerith was during her approach, her emerald eyes did not miss the way Prishe's amethyst orbs sparkled with the sun as she grabbed Squall's hand just as he walked past her and sharply tugged the much larger man to collide with much her smaller but more sturdier frame. In one smooth motion, Prishe let go of his hand and wrapped herself around his arms and stuck her tongue out to the annoyed and disoriented man.

Squall rolled his eyes and dragged the whooping Prishe in her direction; their eyes widened when they finally noticed Aerith and her knowing smile.

Squall flushed a rather embarrassing shade of scarlet while Prishe's booming laughter only grew.

"May I ask what that was all about?" Aerith questioned them with a curious, playful tone.

"You may." Squall began seriously before setting her with a glare. "_But I'm gonna have to kill you_."

He received a rather loud thwap to the head courtesy of the mighty Prishe; if the mood wasn't _so_ serious – and if Squall hadn't been making such jokes with a straight face – Aerith would have chastised the monk's casual use of violence. As it stood, Aerith merely giggled.

"You gotta work on your jokes, Squally old boy!" Prishe admonished the much larger warrior, who was still blinking in confusion. It wasn't that the hit had rattled his brain – Squall was genuinely confused how Prishe, who just barely touched his twelfth rib, managed to hit his head without jumping nor raising herself to the tips of her toes. "Try smiling a bit!"

Squall suddenly smiled at her. He promptly earned another smack to the head.

"Not like that! That's just plain creepy!"

"Whatever." Squall rolled his eyes. He glared at Aerith, who was attacked by another fit of giggles at the slapstick comedy. "Oh you shut up."

Squall was still red.

"Sorry, sorry." Though Aerith's chuckling had died down, a glimmer of mirth still sparkled in her eyes. "But, I just never thought, you know, with you being like that…"

Prishe snorted. "Don't let the little man fool you, Aerith!" The monk relinquished her hold on the mercenary as she marched up in front of the flower girl pompously, waving a finger as she lectured. "He's actually got a sense of humor. Sure, it's buried somewhere in that face he calls a rear of his, but if you wiggle your finger just right," as if for emphasis, Prishe's forefinger squirmed, "You _just_ might get a hootin' toot outta this ass!"

Aerith erupted into another giggling fit.

"_'A hooting-'_!" Squall spluttered at Prishe's colorful syntax. His brows creased in annoyance and he opened his mouth to protest in anger –

"Ah, ah!" Prishe cut him off, throwing a wide grin over her shoulder. "It's _my_ time now, ain't sport? We agreed that if I won that spar, then _I'm_ deciding what we're gonna do next."

_'Well'_, Aerith thought to herself as she watched the exchanged with a mirthful smile, _'I now know what they were up to before.'_

Squall folded his arms. "In case it slipped by you, I'm on a tight schedule, Prishe."

"It didn't." Prishe rolled her eyes. "But all I'm asking is for you to lighten up while we go rescue those pansies."

Aerith blinked. "Rescuing pansies?"

Prishe spun around sharply and grinned maniacally at the flower girl. "Yup! We're gonna go catch ourselves some _Warriors of Cosmos_ before the traitor catches up to them. Hell, we'll catch the traitor if we see him, too!"

As if to punctuate her statement, Prishe slammed her fists together.

"And… how are you planning on achieving that?"

"Well, it took me some thinkin' but, if that tin can's capable of finding Squall by tracking his soul, then surely he's capable of tracking all the other guys too!"

"…I came up with that plan." Squall grumbled at Prishe's explanation.

"_Details_!" Prishe waved it off as she skipped back towards Squall to take his arm. Grinning up at him, she gestured her free arm forward with a flourish. "Well, shall we, princess? Your carriage awaits!"

Aerith giggled as Squall stormed past them, dragging a chuckling monk in tow.

It seemed Squall and Prishe had finally managed to patch their relationship.

Now, if only the rest of their journey would continue just as joyfully…

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_** Anyone feel like drawing a comic strip of a mischievous Prishe luring Squall with promises of Ultimecia's whereabouts?

Regarding the way Squall acted throughout the first part ie his heart-to-heart with Prishe, blame Squall's self-consciousness. He is aware of how he is acting (_his monologue to the unconscious Rinoa in disc 3 reveals as much, but other examples are in his thoughts_) or what he must sound like, and he's doing his best not to trip up in a situation he knows is very delicate.

As for the timeline, since I can't be bothered anymore to type out another 3-6k words translating the game's events into story format (just go watch them on youtube, I guess? Transcribing feels like wasted effort at this point), events that have already taken place are _Laguna's reunion with Vaan_, _Yuna's encounter with Mateus _and subsequent _kidnapping of Jecht_, and _Tifa meeting with Ultimecia, which I think was before her rescue from Sephiroth by Cloud_. _Lightning's still galloping her way to the Sanctuary_.


End file.
